A Fatal Mistake
by Gemmi92
Summary: Erik Lensherr discovered a secret which changed everything that he knew. Little did he know at the time how much she would affect his life. Erik/OC
1. Chapter 1

He sat in the booth after his visit to France and the bank. He had managed to find something which he never thought he would. He was still in shock, if he had to be honest with himself. Never did he think Schmidt would be the kind of man to have this kind of secret. He had found the location of his spawn. He had managed to track down the location of his child.

That was how he found himself sat in the booth of the diner. He took a few moments to look around, noticing the type of men who were there. There were those on the way to work that morning, quickly grabbing coffee and filling up. There were men who demanded a big breakfast to keep them going through the day. He had settled for his coffee in a white mug, looking at the girl who moved over the ghastly checker black and white floor.

It had taken him a few moments to notice the resemblance between her and her father. She had his eyes, he could tell that much. Her hair was a dirty brown colour, hanging down in limp waves to her back. She continuously ran her hand through them, boredom clearly getting the better of her.

He wondered when he would make his move. He needed to talk to her, that much was apparent. He just needed to be careful. As he sipped his coffee, he wondered what kind of girl she was. She was working in a diner; clearly Schmidt hadn't put her through college. Did she even speak with her father? He had to assume so.

"Are you okay, sweetie?"

Snapping him out of his daze, he looked up to the woman who had spoken to him. He nodded at her quickly, forcing himself to be polite and smile.

"Perfect," he promised her.

"Can I get you a refill at all?" she wondered.

Looking down into his coffee cup, he shook his head.

"I'm fine, thank you," he nodded.

He took a moment to pull at the tie which he wore, loosening it slightly due to the Californian heat. She smiled and moved on to the next red quilted booth. He allowed the smile to drop from his face before he looked back to the girl. She had begun to joke with the man she was serving, laughing heartedly as she pulled out a slice of apple pie.

She tucked her hair behind her ears and nodded at the customer, checking the clock on the wall before she took a moment to go in the back. He drained off the remains of his coffee and grabbed the briefcase which sat by his side. He attempted to look professional in an attempt to blend in. He saw her duck under the gap in the counter and wave to everyone before heading for the door.

He stood up and followed her, leaving a few dollars on the counter for his drink. Swinging his briefcase by his side, he followed her as she ran her hands through her hair and pulled it from the elastic band it had been held in. She walked straight by the car park and to the empty sidewalk. He knew he had to make a move before anyone saw him.

"Excuse me."

The girl stopped and turned around, looking over to the man who had called her. He walked briskly up to her, his eyes wide as he drank in every last detail of her. She had begun to chew gum, swirling it around her mouth as she chewed and looked to him.

"What can I do for you?" she wondered quickly.

"You're Grace, are you not?" he asked her. "Grace Shaw?"

She looked at him and folded her arms over the pink uniform she wore. She stood tall, looking at the man who had spoken to her.

"And you are?"

"An old friend of your fathers." He replied to her.

She shook her head, holding her hands up in surrender as she did so. She began to back away from him, moving with haste as she did so.

"I don't know you," she assured him. "And I haven't seen my dad in the past five months."

He kept walking towards her as she turned around and her pace increased. He moved with effort then, grabbing her by the elbow and hauling her back to his side as he did so. She struggled in his hold, trying to snatch her arm back to herself.

"What is your issue?" she spat at him. "I told you, I don't know who you are."

"And do you know who your father is?" he wondered from her. "Do you know who he truly is?"

"Get the hell off me," she snapped out. "You know that all I have to do is scream and someone will see this."

"I'll get my answers," he replied. "I wouldn't bother crying for help. It is not you who I want."

"I gathered that," she drawled. "You want my dad. I want to know what you want with him. He's just some businessman...besides, I barely see him, like I said."

He looked at her for a moment, disregard apparent on his features. Grace stood still as he did the same, looking at her with interest. She said nothing for a few moments, doing her best to study the man in front of her. She'd never seen him before in her life. She knew her father's friends. They were close to him. This man certainly wasn't.

"Look, buddy," she spoke, folding her arms and jutting her stubborn chin out. "I don't know what you want with my dad, but find him and sort it out."

"That's what I'm trying to do," he promised her. "I can't seem to find him. You're going to be my ticket to him."

Grace's eyes seemed to widen in shock as she took in what he had just said. She shook her head and ran her hands through her hair. He could see she was shaking visibly. There was a part of him that felt sickened by being so close to _his _daughter.

"No," she shook her head. "Look, my dad's probably gone travelling. Whatever he has done cannot be that bad, can it?"

His brow furrowed and he took his turn to allow his eyes to widen at hearing the young woman. He shook his head, wondering if she had any idea who her dad was. He took a few moments to look around, one hand moving into his pocket as he did so.

"How old are you?" he asked her.

"Twenty two," she muttered. "I don't know what that is to you."

He ignored her blatant rudeness, deciding to look past that for a moment.

"How long have you known your father?"

"Look," she drawled, "just tell me who you are."

"Answer my question first," he demanded.

She groaned and shook her head, her eyes meeting his again.

"SinceI was five," she said. "I didn't know him before. Listen, I don't know what you want with him, but we're not that close. He tolerates me, okay? He manages to remember Christmas and my birthday, that's about all. Whatever your issue is, go and take it up with him."

He nodded at her, seeming to come to grips with her lack of knowledge.

"Erik," he drawled out. "Erik Lensherr."

She nodded at him then, simply appeased she had managed to get a name from him.

"Right," she said, trying to diffuse the situation. "What do you want with my dad?"

"That's between him and me," Erik hastily replied. "Where is he?"

"He could be anywhere," Grace shrugged. "He sometimes goes to Argentina for a holiday. He owns a tavern there."

"Have you ever been to it?"

"Once," she said. "I went when I was little. He set it up with some colleagues who come from Germany. Like I said, my dad has a lot of businesses."

"Good," Erik declared. "You're taking me there."

She seemed to take in his words one by one, not too sure whether she had heard him right.

"What?" she snapped. "I don't think I am."

"I think you are," Erik retorted, daring to grab hold of her elbow again and haul her down the sidewalk. She did her best to get out of his grip, but failed terribly. He was too strong for her and she had no choice but to amble alongside him. People passed by, giving them strange stares, but none of them did anything.

"Just let me go," she urged him. "I'm serious. I will scream for help."

"And I will find you again," he told her. "And then you can take me to Schmidt. Make no mistake."

"Schmidt?" she repeated. "My dad is Shaw. He is Sebastian Shaw. I don't think you've got the right girl."

"I think I've got the right girl," he promised her. Erik slowly moved his hand out in front of him, making sure no one was watching apart from the girl as he turned his fingers and the lamppost in front of them fell to the ground. People shrieked as they watched it fall, doing their best to step out the way.

"What...what are you?" Grace asked, her voice an octave higher than normal. The chewing gum fell from her mouth as she watched the scene.

Erik continued to glare at her. "I'm not one of you. If you dare shout anything then I have no query about doing something rash. Do you understand me?"

Grace allowed a gulp to move down her throat before she nodded in agreement with his request. He regarded her with curiosity before allowing his grip on her elbow to slacken. She walked by his side, constantly looking back over her shoulder to see the mess which he had just made in front of her. She took a moment to look up at his square jaw and harsh face, knowing that he wasn't messing around.

...

"This is completely uncalled for."

Erik ignored her protests as he finished tying her ankles together along with her wrists. She sat on the bed in the motel room, completely frustrated with what had just happened to her. Erik said nothing back to her, deciding it would be for the best to keep quiet. He'd already had to listen to her argue with herself for half an hour.

He shed himself of his suit jacket and checked that the curtains were firmly shut. He undid the cuffs to the white shirt, rolling the sleeves up and pulling the coin from his pocket. She continued to stare at him, her eyes noticing the numbers on his arm. She didn't mention them, deciding that it would be for the best not to. There was something about him which told her not to mess with him.

"Do you know how crazy this is?" she wondered aloud. "Look, I could just call my dad and tell him-"

"-I'd prefer for it to be a surprise," Erik interrupted with a mutter.

"Why?" she wondered. "Do you intend to hurt him? What has he done to you?"

"What hasn't he done to me?" Erik wondered back, the question rhetoric. He turned back to look at the girl, noticing that she would be in need of some normal clothes if he was to take her to Argentina without anyone questioning it. "Where were you born?"

"Born and bred in California," she told him. "My mom was a teacher."

"And where is she now?"

"She died when I was seven," Grace replied.

"And your dad took you into his care then?" Erik checked.

"If you mean he sent me to boarding school, then yes, he did," she said, a bitter tone held in her voice. She let out an exasperated sigh before looking around the motel room. "Do you have to keep me tied up like a prisoner?"

"You'd know nothing about being a prisoner," Erik snarled.

"But you do," replied Grace.

Erik arched his brow, noting her nod to the numbers which sat on his arm. He turned his elbow so that he could look at the permanent reminder of what he had been. The permanent reminder of those tortured years he had spent alone.

"Victims of concentration camps used to be numbered," she whispered to him.

"They did," he agreed. "Your father had no issue with that."

Grace's puzzled look seemed to grow as she shook her head and tried to fight her way from the ropes binding her.

"My dad fought for America. He went to war to fight."

"And you believe that?"

"Why shouldn't I?" she quickly replied. "He's my dad. He may be cold and not act like a father, but he is my dad."

"You know nothing about him," Erik snarled.

"And you do?" she replied. "He's _my_ dad."

"He's the man who ruined my childhood. He's the man who shot my own mother in front of me. He's the German Doctor who experimented on me because of the gift which I have. He killed people, yes, but he did it inside the concentration camps. I can assure you of that."

Grace continuously shook her head the entire time Erik spoke. She refused to believe anything which came from his mouth.

"You're deluded," she assured him, her faith in her father unquestionable. Erik should have known that. He didn't need to persuade her of anything. He just needed her to lure Schmidt out, and then he would dispose of her. In the scheme of things, she was nothing. Erik knew that.

"You'll soon see," was all that he said to her. "You'll soon see."

...

A/N: So, my first X-Men First Class story. Hope it wasn't too bad for the first chapter. I do hope you'll review and let me know what you think, pretty please!


	2. Chapter 2

"You're deluded."

Erik had to admit that he was growing tired of her shouts and snaps at him. He made a motion to roll his eyes, shaking his head as he finished packing the small bag which he had carried around with him for weeks on end during his vendetta to find Schmidt.

He'd gagged the girl to leave and fetch her some normal clothes, deciding it would be for the best. It was soon as he removed the strip of tape from her mouth when he heard her speak again. Erik slowly untied her wrists and ankles, watching with a nonchalant expression as she made a feeble attempt to scramble from the bed.

Erik's arm wrapped around her waist as he dragged her back.

"How many times do you intend to defy me?" he wondered from her.

"How many times do I have to tell you that my dad did nothing to you?" Grace retorted.

Erik's brow furrowed. How did this girl not know who her father was? Was Schmidt that good a liar? Erik didn't know. He supposed she was living proof of his callous behaviour.

"Just keep quiet," he growled lowly. "Get changed. We're flying to Argentina."

"Why do you need me for this?" Grace complained as Erik thrust the bag of clothes to her.

He suppressed a groan, wondering if he could simply just gag her for the entire journey. It would make his life easier, he knew that much.

"You are going to take me to him. You know where he could be, and I don't. So shut up and do as you're told."

"No need to be rude," Grace hissed. "Besides, I keep telling you that you have the wrong girl. My dad is a businessman."

"If your dad is so rich then why do you work at some grubby little diner? Why does daddy not keep you with him?" Erik drawled; his tone of wonder and sarcasm.

He watched with intrigue as Grace snatched the bag he was holding out to her. She took it into her hands, her glare not once leaving Erik's face as she did so.

"Like I said," Grace drawled, "we aren't that close."

"Apparently not," Erik mumbled. "Go and get changed."

"Jesus!" Grace yelled out in frustration. "You don't need to be so bossy about everything, do you?"

Erik didn't reply as he threw his bag onto his shoulder and waited for Grace to come out of the bathroom. Erik had checked the lock on the bathroom window, securing it before she went in to change. It took her a few moments to come back out, her body now covered in a black skirt and normal white top. She was fiddling with her hair, trying to place it into a ponytail as Erik grew impatient.

He had managed to go back to her apartment and find her passport for the journey.

He took hold of her wrist and began to drag her from the motel. She said nothing for the entire journey to the airport, deciding that it would be for the best. She was well aware that Erik Lensherr was a man on a mission. He just had the wrong girl with him.

"How did you get my passport?" Grace decided to ask once they had passed the check in desk.

"I found out about you, didn't I?" Erik rhetorically asked. "It wasn't as difficult as you seem to believe."

He kept her by his side for the entire time, his hand on the small of her back as they stood in the departure lounge. Erik took a seat on the metal chairs, leaning back and dumping his bag on the floor. Grace sat beside him, running her hands through her hair as she did so.

"How did this happen?" she mumbled to herself. "One minute I was working, the next I'm being held hostage by some deranged German."

"I'm hardly deranged," Erik scoffed. "That's your father."

"Why do you keep saying that?" Grace hissed.

Erik turned his head to the side, regarding her with annoyance for a brief second. She said nothing as Erik grabbed his bottle of water and drained the contents of it, leaving none for her. She looked put out for a moment, deciding to keep quiet as Erik looked back to her.

"It's true," Erik assured her. "I don't take little girls hostage for no apparent reason."

"Really?" Her brow arched. "It seems to me that is exactly what you're doing, you idiot."

"You've seen my arm," Erik said. "You know where I spent my childhood."

"I know," Grace replied, not too sure how she should approach that subject. She didn't really want to talk about it with him. "But my dad was not involved in that. You need to believe me."

"And I would," Erik agreed, "but I know differently."

"I don't think you do," Grace whispered. "I don't know who you are, or what you are, but please, just let me go."

Erik looked to her pleading face as they sat in the corner and out of the way in the airport. She was looking at him with wide eyes, her face softening under his gaze.

What he was. No, he supposed she didn't know what he was. He didn't want to reply to her after that. She had no idea what she was saying to him.

"No," Erik harshly replied. "I am what I am because of your father. He didn't give me my...ability...he experimented on me...did things which you couldn't comprehend."

Grace continued to shake her head during his revelation. She refused to believe that he was talking about _her _father. He just couldn't be. Erik said nothing more to her before he noted a tear fall down her cheek. She rubbed it away just as quickly as it had fallen. He felt nothing at seeing her in distress.

She was a human.

She was his daughter.

She repulsed him. Everything that she was made him disgusted with himself for having to bring her with him. He supposed it would hurt her to see what Erik intended to do to her father. Hopefully he would manage to get rid of her by then.

...

"This is it."

Erik looked down the hill to the villa. The scenery was picturesque; Erik was willing to accept that. He looked around the mountains and hills as he kept his fingers wrapped tightly around her elbow. He had been pushing her for the majority of the walk, making sure she couldn't escape his gaze. She'd stumbled most of the way due to his pace, complaining as she went.

"And how did daddy afford this?" Erik sneered. "Did the Nazis give him a good pay packet?"

"My dad is no Nazi," Grace hissed back. "I've told you that already. He is friends with those men in that tavern. What do you intend to do to them?"

Erik continued to push her down the hill as she looked up at him. The sunglasses and hat he wore clouded most of his expression as he refused to answer her question. He held his jacket over his shoulder as Grace pulled at the skirt she wore; mainly annoyed that it was a bit too short for her.

"You are aware that those men in there have seen me."

"When did they last see you?"

"A few years ago," Grace replied. "My dad could be in there. You can't do anything to hurt him...he's my dad..."

"He's a monster," Erik retorted. "Now you're to be a good girl, do you understand me?"

"And if I'm not?" Grace challenged.

Erik jutted his chin out as he slowed his pace at seeing the door he was about to enter. He shook his head at her, a small smirk coming onto his face as he slowly moved his fingers to the locket which sat on her chest, making it hover in the air above her neck.

"You don't really want to know, do you, Grace?" Erik solemnly replied.

She clamped her mouth shut, her jaw tensing before she snatched the locket from the air and allowed it to fall back to her chest. Smirking, Erik patted her on the shoulder before opening the door.

"Good girl."

Grace grunted something unladylike to him before daring to follow him into the tavern. She looked around as the air filled with cigarette smoke. Erik strolled ahead to the bar as Grace stood in the background, looking for any sign of her father. One of the men turned their heads to notice her stood there.

"Grace!" he called out.

He could recognise Shaw's daughter from anywhere. She smiled at him, folding her arms as Erik turned his glare onto her. They all noted the way the two of them were looking at each other.

"Do you know him?"

"Yes," Erik spoke for her, his gaze turning slightly softer as he did so.

Grace attempted to recall the names of the three men, finally managing to do so. Christian sat at the far end of the table, drawling on his cigarette, whilst Lukas drained the beer he was drinking and Max stood behind the bar.

"I have been courting Miss Shaw here for a while," Erik declared, motioning for Grace to come closer to him. She regarded the men with worry for a moment as she passed their table and stood by Erik's side. His arm wrapped around her waist as the men looked slightly unconvinced.

"Grace tells me her father owns this villa,"

"Ya," Lukas nodded. "Sebastian hasn't been here in a while though."

"I see," Erik drawled, taking hold of Grace by the hand. He led her to the table, sitting down besides her on the empty bench as he held the beer he had ordered. "She told me that her father had some German friends."

Grace's mind completely wandered as she heard Erik lapse into German. She said nothing, only managing to pick up on a few words which he spoke. Dussledorf was definitely easy to understand. She watched on as Erik toasted with her father's friends and began to drain his beer, his gaze flitting between the two of them.

A moment of hesitancy came over her as she felt the atmosphere in the room change. Erik lowered his glass back down, the motion slow before he turned his arm around, revealing the numbers to the men. Grace didn't quite understand the reasoning behind it, but their expressions changed in an instant.

Lukas was the first to react, moving his hand into his pocket and drawing a knife from it. He moved to attack Erik, but was intercepted as the young man grabbed his arm and snatched the knife from him. Grace shrieked as Erik moved his other arm and nudged her from the bench, pushing her to the floor as she heard a piercing shriek fill the air.

Looking back up she saw Max emerge from the bar, a gun in his hand as Erik slowly made him turn the device and shoot Christian in the chest. He stumbled back as Erik pulled the dagger from Lukas's hand and flung it at Max. Grace felt her body fill with horror as he drew the dagger back to him and placed it back in Lukas's hand, another scream sounding from the man.

Erik pulled back for a moment as Grace scrambled to her feet, watching as he drained off his beer and Lukas looked at her, his gaze wide and somewhat accusing.

He spoke to Erik once more, the pleading in his voice beyond recognition.

"Let's just say I'm Frankenstein's monster," Erik drawled, his gaze looking to Grace as her legs shook beneath her and she struggled to comprehend what she had just seen from Erik. He stood up and moved over to the wall of the tavern, looking to a picture which contained her father and his friends. Grace slumped down against the bar, her legs finally giving out on her.

"And I'm looking for my creator," Erik whispered as the gun moved through the air and into his hand. He fired the final bullet and Lukas turned silent.

The entire room smelt horrific to Grace's nose. She looked around at the three dead before looking back to Erik. He moved to pick the knife from Lukas's hand, looking at the words which sat on the knife. He dropped it on the floor by her, his eyes fixed on the blood.

"Blood and honour."

Grace looked at the words, noting the German writing there.

"A personal favourite of the Hitler Youth."

She didn't dare touch the blooded blade, the fear clouding her senses as she listened to what he had said. And she had no reason to doubt him. The way they had looked at him, the way they had feared him...she knew what he was saying. And then there was the dagger. He couldn't make that up. She gulped loudly and looked back to him, shaking her head back and forth.

"My dad...he can't..." she croaked out, still in denial about her father being a part of this. He would never do anything like this. She refused to believe it.

But there was something nagging at her. There was some horrible part of her which doubted her father. How could she do that? How could she doubt him all because of a stranger keeping her hostage?

"Your father owns a boat in Miami," Erik called out, looking back to the picture on the wall. "Could he be there?"

Grace tore her gaze away from the dagger to look back at Erik. She shook her head back and forth, refusing to believe anything that he said.

"Maybe," Grace admitted. What use was there in lying to him? He'd only find out.

"You still don't believe it, do you?" Erik said, shaking his head in disbelief.

He took a step closer to her, watching as she backed away in fear from him. She hooked her arms around her kneecaps, leaning back as far as she could. He shook his head upon seeing her.

"You killed them," Grace said.

"Trust me," Erik drawled, sitting back down on the bench. He moved forwards and laced his fingers together, dropping them to sit in between his legs. "They've killed a lot more people than I have."

"And you're going to kill my dad." Grace drawled. "You're going to do that to him, aren't you?"

Erik said nothing. He could hardly confirm or deny it. He chose to keep quiet as Grace shook her head and stood up. She would get to her father before Erik could. She wouldn't let him hurt her father.

"You won't," she defended him. "My father can't have known what these men were like...he...he couldn't have known..."

Erik allowed a dark chuckle to escape his lips.

"You're a naive girl."

"And you're psychotic," Grace replied. "I'm going nowhere with you."

She strode forwards as fast as possible, her long strides causing her skirt to ride up her thighs. She moved past the seat which Erik was sat on. He stood up after a second, catching her up with ease. His hand wrapped around her upper arm and he dragged her back to him, managing to hold her wrists in his grip. She attempted to hit him, demanding him to let her go.

"Why do you fight when you know you can't win?" asked Erik, keeping her at a distance from him as she finally stopped her fighting.

"My dad couldn't...he couldn't have done this..."

"Keep telling yourself that," Erik drawled, wondering if she would cooperate now. It turned out he didn't have to wonder for long as she stopped hitting against him and resorted to crying again.

...

Sebastian Shaw lounged on the Caspartina, a glass in one hand as he looked to the sky for a moment. He sat on a sun lounger, enjoying the evening sun as it set beyond him. He deduced it would only be a matter of time before Colonel Hendry came to him. Sebastian knew that much.

He took a moment to look across to Emma as he contemplated what his daughter was doing at that moment in time. He barely spoke to Grace, but he often made an effort to have Emma check on her.

"Do you want me to look?"

"Did you read my mind?" Shaw wondered; a small smirk on his face as he looked over to her.

"It is hard not to when you're thinking so hard about her." Emma smirked and closed her eyes. She took a moment to glance around until she focused on the girl.

Shaw remained relaxed until he saw the look on her face. She was scrunching up her nose, her face intense before she opened her eyes. Shaw moved to sit on the side of his lounger, looking at her with wide eyes.

"Your daughter's been kidnapped."

"By who?" Shaw wondered, his voice calm and controlled.

"Erik Lensherr."

Shaw heard himself inwardly groan at the piece of information. He shook his head back and forth and pushed his body from the lounger.

"Find Azazel." Shaw demanded. "Tell him to bring her to me. Now."

...

A/N: Thanks to anyone who has read so far! And to Sheinreen and teamrosalie21137 for reviewing the first chapter. I do hope you'll let me know what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

Grace hesitantly stood in the villa where Erik had killed three men. She was stood upstairs in the guest room, looking around where she had stayed as a child with her father. She would have been five the last time she had spent the summer in Argentina. The room had barely changed. The furniture was still made out of all wood and a large balcony showed the views of the Argentine landscapes.

She found herself stood there at that moment in time, her elbows resting on the wooden railing as she bowed her head. Erik had told her that he intended to clean up the mess he had created with haste. She had seen him wash the blood from the dagger and drop it into the pocket of his leather jacket. He'd told her to go upstairs and stay out of his way for a while.

She'd been happy enough to oblige.

Every ounce of her detested Erik Lensherr. She truly didn't know who he was, nor did she really want to know. She longed for her father to come and sort out the mess she was in. She longed for the simplicity of working in a diner, not being dragged around on a vendetta.

"I've cleaned up."

Grace turned her head over her shoulder as she heard him speak to her. He stood in the doorway with his jacket over his shoulder. The dagger was still in his hand as Grace's gaze instantly caught the sight of it glimmering in the sunlight. Erik's eyes found hers as she turned her body fully around, leaning against the wooden balcony.

"What do you intend to do now?" Grace dared to ask him.

"Go to Miami. I thought it was pretty obvious," Erik drawled to her, his clear distaste for her shining through in his tone.

Grace ground her teeth together as she thought about what her father would do to Erik if he saw him. She could only imagine that he would not take too kindly to the metal bender.

Daring to venture further into the room Erik stood at the glass doors to the balcony, twirling the blade in the air, his fingers moving rhythmically.

"Do you deny who those men were?" Erik asked.

It took Grace a moment to comprehend his question before she shook her head. How could she deny it?

"I saw the way they looked at you...the way they...I don't know..." Grace whispered, bowing her head and shaking it back and forth.

Erik observed the way her hair flowed from side to side as she ignored his presence, clearly too caught up in her own thoughts to think of something else. She didn't know what else she could say to him. She supposed there really was nothing else to it.

"How could you not know before?" Erik asked her.

"I doubt they go around and openly declare that they are Nazis," Grace replied, her voice dry as she did so.

Erik's brow furrowed and his jaw tensed as he watched the girl continue to attempt arguing with him. She lifted her gaze back to meet his, noting how he didn't have a drop of blood on him.

"So why can you not see that your father is like them? He associates with them."

"He couldn't have known," snapped Grace. "My dad couldn't possibly have known who they are...what they were..."

"You keep thinking that," Erik whispered, turning on his heel and moving back through the room, the dagger in his hand as he went. "Come on, we're getting the next flight to Argentina."

Grace glowered at him for a moment, standing where she was before she heard a sudden noise come from the side of her. The quiet noise echoed into Erik's ears as he turned around and saw something which startled him. Everything seemed to happen so quickly, leaving Erik with no time to react. He saw a red creature next to Grace. She looked to the creature and screamed loudly, the sight of something like him not normal to her.

"What do you want?" Erik snapped, knowing that something wasn't right.

How could he have gotten there? Who was he? Was there someone like him? Were there more mutants like him?

Erik didn't get the chance to continue his questions for the creature saluted him and took hold of Grace by the arm. As quickly as he had come, he had vanished.

...

Fear radiated through Grace as she felt her body move from the ground. It didn't take long for her to see light again. The creature let her go and moved off. Grace looked around, wondering what had happened before she felt the familiarity of wood beneath her. She swayed for a moment as she looked around, the sun glaring down on her.

"Ah, Grace!"

Grace had to admit that she had never been so happy to hear the familiar voice. She whirled around and saw him moving down a set of steps, his arms outstretched as he strode towards her.

"Grace, dear," he drawled, "I can explain everything that has happened."

She tucked her hair behind her ears nervously and then folded her arms over her chest.

"You had best," she said, her voice shaking and betraying the anger which she felt. "I...how did I get here?"

"Come along."

Sebastian Shaw dared to wrap his long arm around his daughter's shoulders before leading her to the back of the boat. He sat down on the plush cushions which lined the curve of the boat. Grace sat beside him, her body shaking from shock. Shaw removed his jacket from his own arms and draped it over her shoulders, doing his best to keep her warm from the shock of what had happened to her. She held the white material tightly to her as she looked around the Caspartina.

"I've had to keep some things from you in the past, my dear," Shaw admitted, moving his hand out to run it down her hair. He knew that he had to tread carefully around his daughter. "I'm...there are people out there in the world...people who are not people...they have powers..."

"Like Erik?" Grace whispered. "Like that red creature."

"Azazel," Shaw corrected. "But yes. We're mutants...we have gifts..."

"We?" Grace wondered from her father, still not completely understanding what he was saying.

"I have the ability to absorb energy," Shaw said calmly. "Azazel can teleport...I have some others with me. You will meet them in good time."

Grace said nothing, not too sure what she should say to her father. She had no idea what she was hearing. It took her too long to comprehend what he was telling her. There were mutants on the earth. There were people with abilities which she couldn't understand.

"It's a lot to take in, my love," Shaw assured her.

"Why did you not tell me?" Grace wondered. "You should have told me...I mean...I'm your daughter..."

"That you are," Sebastian smiled back to her, daring to take hold of her hand into his. He noted the locket which sat on her neck and picked it up, a small smile on his face. "Your mother's locket. You still have it."

"Of course."

"She...you are as much my daughter as you are your mothers." Shaw whispered. "I never knew how to tell you, Grace. I didn't want you to live a different childhood because of me. I thought that boarding school would be the best for you."

"I'd have come to understand," Grace muttered. "I mean...what is it you really do, dad? You know other people like you."

"I do," Sebastian confirmed. "I have been searching for them, Grace. You've seen Azazel. He would never have been accepted anywhere else. He is accepted with me."

"How many do you have in your gang?" Grace wondered as Shaw dropped her locket and chuckled.

"Only three," he replied. "They all work with me in the wings."

"And the villa?" Grace pushed him, needing answers despite her incoming headache. "And Erik?"

"Ah, Erik Lensherr," Shaw said. "I admit that I did not know the men who owned the villa that well. I did not know of their past until a few years ago. As soon as I found out who they were then I stopped going, Gracie. I promise you that."

"So they are Nazis?" Grace checked with her father.

He solemnly nodded his head, daring to finally admit that to her. She said nothing before biting down on her bottom lip. Why would her father lie to her? He wouldn't. She was his daughter.

"And Erik?" Grace wondered.

"I discovered Erik and his mutation," Shaw admitted to her. "I tried to help him. I did my best to enhance his powers...help him control them...but he never took to me. He accused me of being a monster."

Grace said nothing for a few seconds as Sebastian dared to take her hand into his, moving closer to his daughter as he tucked her hair behind her shoulder.

"I wouldn't lie to you, my love," Shaw promised her. "You have no idea how scared I was when I heard he had taken you."

"He said that you were a Nazi doctor. He said that you shot his mother...ruined his life..."

Shaw continued tutting as a small tear rolled down his daughter's cheek, the stress of everything come back to her.

"He's deluded," Shaw promised her. "Honestly, my love, do I sound German to you?"

Grace shook her head at that as Sebastian brushed the tear away, mentally cursing his daughter for being so weak. Telling her the truth would do nothing but alienate her from him. That was not something which he really wanted to do. He supposed he had alienated her enough in his life.

"No," Grace said and Shaw chuckled.

"There you go then, Gracie," Shaw gently nudged her. "I'm your father. I wouldn't lie to you. I'm not Erik Lensherr."

"I know," Grace nodded. "I didn't believe him."

She said it as if she wanted him to be proud of her. As if she wanted him to praise her for sticking by his side. It was what he expected her to do, but Shaw knew that Grace craved his praise. She craved for his acceptance. It just wasn't something which he willingly gave out, especially to his _human _daughter.

"I know," Shaw said. "Come along now, you need some rest after everything that has happened. I will see to it that you have proper dinner tonight."

Grace dutifully stood up and followed her father into the depths of the yacht, remaining quiet as she went.

"Why am I not like you?" she suddenly wondered. "Why am I normal?"

"You did not inherit some of my genes apparently," Sebastian said and pushed open a door. She stood in the doorway to the guest room as he bent down to kiss her on the forehead. "Try to get some sleep. I shall come and check up on you later."

Grace nodded as he shut the door to her room and shook his head. A small smirk escaped his lips as he thought about his daughter. She truly was weak in front of him even after her twenty two years of life.

He moved back out to the deck and saw Emma lounged out on a sun lounger, her hands behind her glossy hair as she looked to him.

"We'll be receiving a guest soon enough," he told her. "Keep your mind open."

"With pleasure," she grinned as Shaw poured himself a glass of champagne and glanced onto shore, wondering how long it would be before Erik Lensherr showed his face again.

...

A/N: So no reviews for the previous chapter, but if you are reading then do let me know what you think, pretty please!


	4. Chapter 4

"He said that he would come after you."

Sebastian listened to his daughter's worries, but he knew that they were misplaced. Sebastian was one hundred per cent sure that he was safe from Erik Lensherr. He wasn't a danger to him. He was one mutant, and one mutant couldn't beat his three.

"Erik Lensherr is no concern to me, my dear," Sebastian drawled to his daughter.

He was sat at a table on the deck, looking over the harbour as his daughter sat opposite him. He had found her some clothes to change into, deciding that some of Emma's would suffice for her. Of course, he chose some of the more conservative clothing.

She had managed to slide into the pencil skirt and brown blouse before placing her flats onto her feet. Her father had requested for her to dine with him that evening. She sat and slowly ate the salad which sat on her plate.

She took a deep breath before replying to her father. "I don't know...he seemed intent on hurting you, dad."

"Erik isn't right in the head," he complained back to her. "He will not hurt me. I shall see to that. I know that he will find me soon enough if he intends to come to the yacht."

"Then why do you not move from the yacht?" Grace dared to ask him.

She knew that he wouldn't divulge in all of the information with her. He barely told her what she wanted to know about her mother and their history. He did his best to keep her in the dark about most things. She knew that they weren't close, but she always hoped that he would tell her more.

"I don't want to move, Gracie," Sebastian sipped on his wine after drawling to her. He placed the glass back on the wooden surface and nonchalantly shrugged. "I don't see him causing me a problem."

"You know best," Grace whispered and drank her water.

She picked at her salad as Sebastian watched her, swirling his wine in his glass as he did so.

"You're scared," he commented to her.

She picked her gaze up to glance back at her father. She shrugged once at him, and sat up straight.

"I saw him kill three men with ease," Grace responded. "Of course I'm scared."

"For me or for you?" Sebastian wondered.

"For you, of course!" Grace snapped back. "It is you who he wants dead. He doesn't want to kill me."

"Does he not?" Sebastian wondered. "Has he told you that?"

"Why would he want to hurt me? He took me hostage...he was the one who could have killed me."

"You had a purpose back then," Shaw reminded her. "You were to find me. Now, I have you back and your purpose is no more, my love."

"That doesn't mean anything." Grace said, sounding as if she was trying to convince herself and not her father. "I mean, he won't hurt any of us, will he?"

"Of course not," Sebastian smiled. "I told you that already, my love. I just wanted you to know how insecure Erik really is. There is nothing to worry about so long as you stay here for a while. It isn't like you have anywhere to be, is it?"

"I do have a job," Grace replied after a moment. She took a few moments to sit and contemplate what her father was thinking. She knew what he was thinking. He saw her as a disappointment. He always had done.

"You work in a diner," Shaw said. "It is hardly stimulating work, Gracie. I've told you that I can get you a better job. You could go back to college."

"I don't want to go back to college."

"Do you want to work in a diner for the rest of your life?"

"Of course not."

"Then why not go back to college? You were studying for a Law degree, Gracie. You're a clever girl."

"I only did it because you wanted me to do it," Grace challenger her father. "I wasn't cut out for it."

"You never really tried," Sebastian said. "Besides, I didn't make you do it, Grace. I told you it would be wise to study law. It leads to a stable and steady job; a job where I don't need to look after you."

"You don't look after me now," Grace snapped.

"Who puts money into your bank account every now and then?" Sebastian asked from her.

"I don't ask you to," I snapped. "I told you that I didn't need the money. I can cope on my own."

"Below average wage in a diner?" Sebastian smirked. "Of course you can cope. I told you that you can do much better."

"And I will do one day," Grace said. "I'm old enough to stand on my own two feet."

"Let's not argue," Sebastian said and Grace remained quiet. He always could end the conversation. Grace knew that her father was manipulative, and she did her best not to conform to his ways. She failed most the time. She said nothing as Sebastian ate more of his salad, knowing full well why his daughter worked in a diner.

She hated law. She always had done. She only took it to please him. She had longed to make him happy with everything that she did. He supposed it was because he was never there for her as a child. She thought it was her fault that he didn't want to spend time with her as a small girl. Everything she did from then was to appease him.

She grew tired of it during college. She rebelled slightly, determined to make her father see her way of thinking. There was only his way of thinking though.

"Ah, Emma," Sebastian called out suddenly.

He looked over to where she stood, emerging onto the deck. Grace turned her upper half around to see the woman making her way over to her father. Sebastian stood up, his smirk growing as Emma moved closer to her. Her gaze was set on his daughter as Grace seemed to shrink further into the chair, clearly intimidated by the woman.

Grace was certain that she was a mutant. No one could be so good looking. It was hardly fair. She felt insignificant in comparison to Emma. She watched as her father placed his arms on her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. Emma allowed her lips to tug upwards as Sebastian turned back to look down at his daughter.

"This is Emma, my love," Sebastian spoke to his daughter. "She is a telepath. It is one of her mutations."

"One?" Grace questioned her father.

Sebastian brusquely nodded at the woman and she changed into diamond form. Emma resisted the urge which came over her to roll her eyes at the obvious gaping from the young woman.

"Fantastic, isn't she?" Sebastian said as Emma changed back into her white attire. She ran a hand through her hair before nodding at the young girl.

"Close your mouth, honey," she urged her. "We don't want you to catch flies."

Grace did as she was told with reluctance, pushing her lips together as Sebastian dismissed Emma and told her that he would see her later. He continued to watch after her, his gaze one of appreciation as he did so.

"How long have you been with her?" Grace dared to ask her father, holding her water in her hand as she did so.

Sebastian smirked. "We're not together, Grace. You know me; I like to keep myself free."

Grace forced herself to return her father's smile. _No, _she thought, _I don't know you. I don't know you at all._

...

Charles Xavier grew tired as he sat in the front seat of the car. He had just had to persuade the CIA that he was no danger to them. And now he was on his way to find Shaw. There was not much known about the man from what he had heard. He was rich and wealthy, that much was apparent, but he was seemingly invisible.

"Do we not know anything about Sebastian Shaw?" Charles spoke up as he was handed a file from the man who owned Division X. The Man in Black Suit said nothing as Charles flipped through the page. There virtually was nothing about him.

"And we think that he will definitely be in Miami?" Raven checked.

"It's the only place we can consider." The suit said back to them.

Charles continued to look through the file before noticing one name on it. "It says that he has a daughter here. Have you questioned her about her father?"

"Had an agent call into the diner where she worked every day for about ten days," the suit said. "Not once did she meet with her father. She works in California and he's in Miami. I don't think that the two of them are exactly close."

"I see," Charles whispered. "It might have been wise to speak with her, just in case she knew something which we didn't."

"I can have an agent pick her up if you need me to?" Moira suggested to Charles from the driving seat. She turned her head to look at the young Professor, a small smile on her face as she did so. Raven had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at her brother's obvious flirting with the woman. He was like it with every woman he found attractive.

"It might be for the best," Charles nodded. "She could help us find Shaw."

"I'll call someone as soon as I can," Moira said.

Charles nodded once at hearing that before he took a moment to himself and began to wonder what sort of mess he had found himself in.

...

Erik Lensherr wasn't mad. Mad would be an understatement. He was furious. He only hoped that he could get the answers which he needed in Miami. He currently sat on a plane, waiting to take off into the daytime sky. The girl had been snatched from him. He could only assume she had gone back to her father and intended to tell him of what had happened to her.

Schmidt would have warning that Erik would be coming.

It wouldn't be a surprise, and he could have left by the time Erik arrived.

The thought only caused him to grow angrier with what had happened. Erik wanted the element of surprise on his side. He wanted to use the girl to his own advantage. It seemed he would have to think of something else.

Leaning back in his seat, he closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep before he came face to face with his creator.

...

A/N: Thanks to all those who are following and to Climb The Mountain for reviewing. I do hope you will let me know what you all think so far! No updates for 10 days due to holiday, but more after!


	5. Chapter 5

Grace stood at the back of the yacht, watching as the sun slowly set over the harbour. Leaning against the railing, she looked into the sparkling blue water, wondering about everything that had just happened in the past few days.

She still struggled to comprehend that there were people with extraordinary abilities in the world. Her father had introduced her to the remaining members who resided on the yacht. Grace had dutifully nodded at each of them, doing her best not to look concerned. She knew that her father's telepath would be reading her mind. She was well aware of that.

Groaning, she placed a hand on her temple and dropped her head downwards, shaking it back and forth. She didn't want to be on a boat with her father. She didn't want to be anywhere near him if she had to be honest. Grace preferred to live alone. It was how it had always been. The time of mourning over lost time with her father had died when she served her first fried breakfast.

But there was still a small part of her which craved his affection. She longed to know why he had kept secrets from her; why he didn't tell her who he was; why he didn't want her as a child. She did her best to push him from her mind, knowing full well that he wouldn't be thinking about her as he sat and drank with his pretty blonde mutant.

Grace took a second to straighten herself out, pulling at the skirt which she wore before she moved back inside the yacht, knowing full well that her presence on deck would only make everything awkward. No, she didn't dwell on it anymore. She went to her room and found her mind turning to anything but Sebastian Shaw.

...

Charles stood on deck as he saw the sun finally disappear from view. He took a moment to run a hand over his temple, doing his best to locate Shaw. Raven stood by his side, her hands wrapped around the metal railing as she pushed herself back and forth on her heels.

"The diner where his daughter works says that she hasn't been in for the past few days."

Moira's sentence snapped Charles out of the daze he had found himself in. He had told the captain the direction they needed to head in. That was enough for the time being. Charles's glimmering eyes found Moira's as she folded her arms across her waist.

"No one has reported her missing?"

"Apparently not," Moira said. "Maybe she went away for a while? She could be with her father, couldn't she?"

"I thought you said that she never met with her father?" Raven checked with Moira.

"She didn't," Moira agreed. "It doesn't mean that she isn't with him now though."

"Possible," Charles nodded, tucking his hair behind his ears as it continued to fly into his face. Raven made the same motion, one hand running through her blonde locks as she did her best not to look tired by the day's events.

Moira regarded Charles for another moment, her gaze wide. Raven did her best not to say something at the way the agent looked at her brother. She supposed she had gotten used to it in Oxford. There was something about Charles which attracted women. She doubted it was his love for boring books.

"I'll go and check on our location," Moira declared. "We should almost be there. Do you think you can locate Shaw for us when we get there?"

"I am sure I can," Charles said, not once doubting his ability.

Moira left the two siblings alone, wandering off back into the warmth inside the ship. Raven went back to rocking back and forth on her heels whilst Charles shook his head slowly.

"This guy seems dangerous, Charles."

Charles turned to look at her for a moment, noticing how her brow arched and her bottom lip covered her top lip. He took a moment to wrap his hand over hers, squeezing her fingers as he did so.

"He won't hurt us, Raven," Charles assured her. "Nothing can hurt us. I promise you that. We have the full weight of the CIA behind us now."

"And you trust them?" Raven wondered from him. "Who can we trust, Charles? I changed in that room for you...to help you...but...if anyone saw me...what do you think they would say? Do you think they would call me normal?"

Charles sighed loudly for a moment, shaking his head back and forth. He had always had this issue with Raven. She constantly worried about what she looked like. He couldn't blame her, but he didn't know why she found herself to be in constant worry about everything.

"Honestly, love," Charles said, a sad smile on his face as he did so. "You have nothing to worry about. So long as I am here, there is nothing for you to panic over."

Raven said no more on the matter, leaning closer to Charles as he pecked her on the forehead. She often found herself wondering what would have happened if Charles hadn't come into her life. What if he never found her in the kitchen? What if he called her a freak and ran from her?

Raven didn't want to think like that. She didn't want to know what could have been. She knew that she had to be appeased with Charles, and that wasn't a difficult thing to be. She didn't know how she felt. Sometimes she just wanted something more. She just didn't know _what. _

"I can feel something."

Charles's voice snapped Raven from her thoughts as she looked into the distance. Charles ran off from her, doing his best to find Moira with haste. Raven stood where she was, watching the drama unfold as the US Coastguard made themselves known.

"He's still in the harbour," Charles said as Moira joined them, waiting to see what happened.

...

Grace sat on the bed in the guest room, her gaze looking into the distance and out of the window as she heard a sudden noise. She jumped back, her chest heaving as the sound echoed through her. The sound of horns blaring caused her to jump up from her bed and move out into the corridor.

She kept her head bowed as she looked towards the ground, tucking her hair behind her ear as she moved. She stopped suddenly when she felt the yacht rock from side to side, her hands stretching out to either wall to steady herself.

"Dad!" she shouted for him. "Dad! What is happening?"

She received no answer as she remained stood where she was, unable to move any further down the rocking surface.

Grace continued to yell for her father as she fell to the ground, a smashing noise entering her ears as she covered them with her hands. The ceiling above her began to crumble, planks of wood falling to the floor as she loudly screamed. She began to crawl, doing her best to find the door to take her back onto deck. She finally managed to come to the wooden deck, the yacht still collapsing around her as she fell to the floor, her hands covering her head as she looked around for any sign of help.

Her gaze caught an object in the water as she squinted to see it better in the darkness.

Erik could see the girl from a mile off. He saw the wooden remains which had tumbled onto her back and the dust from them which had caught in her hair. He said nothing for a moment, his hand still outstretched as he continued to destroy the yacht, fully intent on finding Schmidt again.

The girl was of no concern to him.

He watched as she continued to lie on the deck, fear radiating through her as she stared at him. He knew she wondered what he was doing. He could tell that much. He took a few moments to see the metal railing which was falling from the deck above her. He knew that it was about to hit her. She clearly had no idea what was about to happen.

It only took a moment for Erik to decide what he would do. He moved his other hand outwards, flinging the falling metal to the side and disregarding it. The yacht was about to crumple in on itself, leaving Grace with no other option but to peer into the murky depths of the water.

Erik dropped the anchor as the girl abandoned the sinking yacht, dropping into the sea and spluttering around to keep herself in the clear. Erik moved over to her, knowing that Schmidt wouldn't leave his prized daughter behind.

"Where is he?" Erik snapped at her, his hand wrapping around her upper arm as he shook her forcefully.

Grace paid him no attention for a few moments. She kicked with as much haste as she could muster before shaking her head back and forth.

"I don't know!" she snapped.

Erik said nothing more as he heard a noise come from below the yacht. The sound of steel opening and sudden light from beneath him made him curse in his mind. A submarine emerged from the bottom of the yacht, moving out into the open sea with haste.

Grace watched as it went, her gaze finally moving back to the collapsing yacht before she saw Erik move his hands and take hold of the submarine. Before she even had the chance to say anything, she heard the yacht begin to sink down into the ocean, a fire burning from its wooden planks. Her eyes widened as she kicked against the water, doing her best to escape the burning mass in the ocean.

She screamed for help, wondering if anyone would hear her in the dead of the night. She could only keep hope. She moved slowly through the water, not being the best swimmer as she cried out for aid. She struggled to believe that her father had just left her. He couldn't have done that to her. Surely he was not so cruel...maybe he was injured? Grace didn't know. She didn't know anything about what had happened.

...

Charles stood on the side of the ship again, his body wrapped in a blanket after he had jumped into the ocean, determined to save the man who was intent on catching Shaw.

"His daughter."

Charles turned his head to the side as he heard Erik speak. The man had his shoulders hunched as he refused to take a blanket until he told his new acquaintance what he had seen.

"Schmidt's daughter was in the sea," Erik said. "I don't know what happened to her."

Charles nodded once, pressing his finger to his temple as he located her.

"She's still there," Charles said, turning his gaze to Moira. "We need a rescue boat to get her."

"On it," Moira said, rushing off to leave Charles with Erik.

Raven had gone inside, deciding that it would be best to give the men some privacy. Apparently that was what they needed in order to discuss things.

"I'll go with them," Charles said to Erik out of courtesy. "Someone needs to help find her."

"Why didn't he take her with him?" Erik suddenly wondered out loud, his thoughts consuming him too much to remain quiet. "He took her from me...why did he not take her?"

"These all the things which we will find out," Charles said, his hand on Erik's shoulder for a moment as he brushed past him towards the lifeboats.

Erik took a moment to think before he decided to follow Charles. He needed to find out what had happened, but he didn't intend to wait.

Charles said nothing as Erik sat beside him on the boat. The ride into the harbour was a fast one; Charles hanging onto the side of the boat and doing his best to locate the girl with haste. He was still drenched from his previous antics, his clothes completely damp with the wet. Erik didn't seem too bothered by that. He was too wrapped up in his own thoughts.

"There!" Erik yelled out when he saw something bobbing in the water.

"I see." Charles said as the boat slowed down.

"It's okay," Charles spoke as soon as he leaned down into the water, his hand grasping for hers. "You're safe now...we've got you..."

Charles grabbed hold of both of her hands, helping her from the water along with another CIA agent. Grace coughed loudly as she fell into the boat, shivering from the cold. Her cheeks had turned as white as a sheet and her hair hung limply against her wet skin.

"It's okay...you're safe..."

She coughed as the new man removed a blanket from his shoulders and wrapped it around hers. His arm was instantly around her, his hands rubbing up and down her upper arms as he tried to warm her. Grace did nothing as he held her tightly against him, too intent on watching Erik as he glowered at her.

She stared back at him, her face the perfect picture of innocence. Erik said nothing further as Charles introduced himself and assured her that he would get her somewhere warm. No, Erik was too busy trying to work out the mystery that was Grace Shaw.

...

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far and to anyone who has followed! If you are reading then I do hope you will let me know what you think. It would mean a lot to me!


	6. Chapter 6

Grace listened with intent as the man who had pulled her out the water spoke his name and told her who he was. When he said that he was another mutant she had to resist the need which came over her to scream. Were there any normal people anymore?

He helped her from the small boat onto the main coastguard ship. Once she was on deck she was swamped with men in suits, all of them looking at her. Grace's eyes widened as she saw that each one of them was holding a gun.

Charles shook his head, standing in front of the girl and looking to the agent in charge. He was stood beside Moira whilst Erik stood behind Grace, his eyes constantly darting around the darkness as he wondered if Schmidt would make another appearance.

"She is not a threat," Charles spoke.

The agent stiffened. "She is his daughter. You saw what he did to the men who I sent to him."

"I did," nodded Charles, "but she is not her father. She has no mutant power. She most certainly is not a danger to us."

"Listen to him," Moira urged the agent. "Look at her."

Grace remained looking down as the agent observed her from over Charles's shoulder. She did nothing, deciding to hug the blanket closer to her as she yearned for some warmth. Her mind was still in a mess. She wanted to know where her father had gone. She needed to know what had happened to him.

She glanced behind her shoulder, his eyes on the water as the agents kept on talking about her. She could feel Erik watching her, his gaze so intense that it was difficult _not_ to know that he was staring. Was he still out there? Had he fallen from the yacht? Or had been in the submarine?

"Come on," Charles spoke, snapping her out of the daydream she seemed to be trapped in. She allowed him to wrap his arm around her shoulders and lead her inside.

"We'll get you somewhere warm. Moira is going to find you a drink of some kind."

"Where is he?" Grace decided to ask, growing tired of waiting.

She watched as Charles's brow furrowed and she could see that he was instantly confused by her question. He had no need to be so put out; she thought it was obvious who she was asking after.

"My dad," Grace spoke. "Where is he? He was on the yacht with me. He wouldn't have left me there-"

"-Well he did." Erik was the one to interrupt.

The three of them stopped walking down the corridors as Grace shrugged Charles away from her. She turned on her heel to look back at the quietly skulking Erik. Her gaze narrowed as she glared at him, blaming him for the mess which she found herself in.

"You were the one who destroyed the yacht!" Grace snapped. "Do you have any idea what you could have done?"

"I didn't know that you were on the yacht," Erik snarled. "It was your father who I wanted. I saved your life from that yacht."

"By doing what?" Grace yelled at him. "You were the one who put my life in danger in the first place! You were the one who decided to go on some mad rampage because my dad wanted to help you. He told me all about you. He told me how you're mentally insecure. I've seen you kill three men...I've seen it, and I know that he is right."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear the killing part of that," Charles informed Erik, looking up to him with a serious set frown.

"Thanks," Erik said, his gratitude going unnoticed by everyone. His glare refused to leave the girl. She really had been brainwashed by him. She was a fool for thinking that Schmidt was a loving father. She was a naive girl.

"Your father has been feeding you lies after lies. Why do you think the coastguard is here now? Why do you think they went after your father on the yacht? He's working with the Russians now. He's working against everyone, just like he did in Germany."

Grace listened to him for a moment, her head turning light as she thought about it. He couldn't be speaking the truth. Her father would never do anything like that.

_You never thought that he was a mutant either, Grace. What do you really know?_

"No," she whispered. "My father...he's somewhere..."

"And I will tell you where he is," Erik hissed. "He is on that submarine of his. He left you on that yacht. He couldn't care less whether or not you lived."

"You're lying!" Grace yelled. "He wouldn't leave me. He would never leave me with you. He came for me as soon as he knew about you."

Erik pushed a hand through his hair, infuriation taking over him at the mere sight of the girl. She was testing his patience, Erik couldn't deny that.

"Tell her, Charles," Erik urged the psychic. "Make her see that her father is a monster."

Grace saw red after a moment. She found herself unable to do anything but raise her hand and slap Erik across the face. She used as much force as she could muster, the blanket dropping down her shoulder due to the sheer force. Erik's head turned to the side for a moment, his fingers stroking the place where she had struck him.

"Grace," Charles whispered her name, doing his best to get her to calm down.

"She's as psychotic as her father," Erik snapped.

"Shut up!" Grace snapped, doing her best to try and lunge at Erik again. Charles reacted quicker this time, his hands wrapping around her upper arms and dragging her back against his chest. He kept her held there as Erik looked at her, shaking his head back and forth.

The girl really was deluded.

"Erik, you should go," Charles informed his new acquaintance.

"Fine," Erik said, "but tell her the truth. The foolish brat deserves that much."

Grace squirmed even more after Erik's final sentence. Charles managed to turn her around in his hold, his hands on her shoulders as he watched Erik turn the corner over her shoulder.

"Do you think you can calm down now?" Charles asked her. "I've had enough for one day. I do not need you to make this more difficult."

"It isn't me who is doing that," Grace protested. "It's him! He's been after my father for days now...he's not right...you have to see that. Why don't you understand? He admitted that he committed murder, for God's sake!"

"Grace," Charles whispered her name as she took a deep breath, her hand moving to her forehead. "You need to calm down. Getting worked up shall do nothing for you, love."

"But why does no one understand?" Grace wondered. "Why does no one believe me? You're stood here...and..."

Charles said nothing more to her, his eyes wide as she finally came to understand. The reason why no one believed her was because no one truly _did _believe her. She was alone in this mess. She shook her head back and forth, stepping away from Charles as her mind whirled.

"You believe him," Grace whispered. "You believe what he says."

"I've seen his mind," Charles whispered to her. "I've seen what happened to him as a child, Grace."

"But that wasn't my father," Grace protested, her throat clenching as she spoke. She did her best to remain calm, taking deep breaths before she felt suffocated. Everything about the situation made her feel ill.

"Grace, come and sit down, we can talk further then."

"No," Grace said. "I don't believe you. You have no proof."

"Unfortunately I do," Charles replied to her, daring to offer his hand to her. "I can show you, but I do not want to hurt you further. You've been through enough already."

"No," Grace said, her head shaking back and forth. "You need to show me. You need to...because I can't...I don't believe it...I don't want to believe it."

Charles held his hand out to her, preparing to allow her into his mind and show her the images which he had seen from Erik. Grace hesitantly took it before Charles pressed a finger to his temple. She jumped in shock as her eyes closed and visions swam before her. She didn't think he meant to show her like this. She thought he had a file of some kind.

But this way was much worse.

So much worse.

Grace didn't know what to think as she saw her father stood over a small boy. Her father torturing a little child. Her father at his Hellfire Club with his other mutants.

Grace could barely stand anymore as she snatched her hand from Charles. Taking a few steps back, she felt the contents of her stomach churn and she knew that she needed to empty it before she could think anymore. She turned on her heel and ran down the corridors, Charles shouting her name as she went.

Once she came to the deck the fresh air made it worse for her. She doubled over the side of the ship, her hands clutching onto the railings as she threw up. Tears began to stream down her face as a gurgling noise escaped her lips. A sound which was so foreign to her it made the hairs on her arms stand up.

Erik had been stood up on the deck, the fresh air helping to clear his mind when he saw the girl further down the deck. She had begun to be violently ill, unable to do anything else. He could only imagine that she had heard the truth. The real truth; not the truth which Schmidt wanted her to hear.

Erik inhaled sharply and moved further down the deck to stand closer to her.

"You found out?" he wondered as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

She built herself up to turn and look at Erik, her gaze wide as she did so. Erik startled for a moment as he peered into her orbs. He thought he saw some form of compassion there. He couldn't be sure as it felt like he was staring at a cloned form of Schmidt, and that man did not know the word compassion.

Grace knew that she should say something to him. She should apologise. She should do something instead of stare at him like a gormless idiot.

"I'm sorry," Grace finally whispered to him, her voice nothing more than a whisper.

Erik allowed his brow to arch as he took another step towards her. She had begun to play with the corner of the blanket which was draped over her shoulders, seemingly unable to do anything else.

"Why are you sorry?" Erik wondered.

"For what he did," Grace whispered. "For what he...I just..."

"Well, you didn't do it, did you?" Erik checked with her, his voice low.

"I defended him," Grace said.

"Like a fool," Erik confirmed. "At least you now know."

Grace said nothing back to him, deciding to focus on looking out to the ocean as Erik took a moment to consider what she had just found out. He doubted he would have coped well if he knew what she did. Perhaps he had been a little tough on her. He was just tired of having someone defend Schmidt. That man deserved no compassion. He deserved nothing from anyone. He certainly didn't deserve such a loyal daughter.

Slowly, Erik drew his hand upwards and rested it on her material covered shoulder.

Grace's eyes snapped back to his, widening as she felt his hand on her.

"He doesn't deserve you." Erik decided to say to her.

He didn't know what else he could say. He supposed there was nothing more to it. The girl suffered enough. Erik didn't care for her in the scheme of things. He supposed he pitied her. That was an emotion which he felt was difficult to come to terms with. He never suspected he would feel sorry for the daughter of a monster.

But he did.

And he couldn't even deny it.

...

A/N: So thanks to those who are following! No reviews for the previous chapter but I will continue to update. It'd be nice to hear what you think so far!


	7. Chapter 7

She had sat down on deck, folding her legs underneath her as she rested her back against the metal wall. She'd closed her eyes as he sat down beside her, his back resting against the same wall but his legs outstretched in front of him. He'd said nothing for a few moments, choosing to stay in silence.

He didn't know why he had sat beside her after. She didn't know how he could stand to be near her. She knew that she couldn't be near him for much longer. She felt disgusted about what her father had done. She was scared now. She truly was worried about her own father.

"I was a boy."

Grace managed to snap herself out of the daze which she had wanted to stay in for the rest of her days. Her gaze painfully found his well defined face.

"I was a boy when he shot my mother in front of me. I couldn't move the coin away from him. My mind wouldn't let me do it. Even when he brought my mother in, I couldn't do it. I don't know why. I look back on it. I look back on that day, and I know that I could have saved her. I could have done something to save her."

Erik paused, taking a deep breath as he explained what had happened. He never told anyone of his story. He refused to tell anyone about what had happened in the camps. He especially didn't know why he felt the need to tell the girl next to him.

She pulled the blanket around her tightly, her body shaking.

"That's why I intend to kill him," Erik said and he saw her squirm, her eyes shutting and she visibly winced. "I will kill him, and you cannot do anything to stop me."

He stood with haste, pushing himself to his feet and walking away from her. She watched him leave, his hands raking through his hair as he went. The annoyance radiated through him because of his story. The story which he should never have told her.

...

"Where is she?"

Emma rolled her eyes as she heard Sebastian snap at her again. He had been annoyed ever since he realised that his daughter had gone missing. He had rushed down to the submarine, making Azazel check her room on the way down. By then she had gone. By then it was too late.

Azazel had come back to tell Sebastian that his daughter was nowhere to be seen. It was safe to say that the red mutant had suffered the full wrath of Sebastian Shaw.

"She's with him," Emma said to him.

Sebastian was moving around the plush sitting area in the submarine whilst Emma rested on the sofa, looking to the coastguard ship which was pulling into the harbour.

"She knows everything. There's another telepath on board. He's shown her what Erik showed him." Emma admitted.

Sebastian slowly moved then, walking the length of the room with his hands balled into fists. His mind worked quickly, trying to find a way out of the mess which had been created. He could lie to her again. It would be easy enough. He could tell her that the Nazis had forced him to do it.

Grace was easy to manipulate. She always had been until college. And even now, at the age of twenty two, she still wanted affection. Sebastian could give her that to keep her on side. He didn't know why it was so important to keep her in favour with him.

He suspected it had something to do with the fact that she was his daughter, after everything said and done.

"Can you narrow down her location?"

"With ease," Emma spoke.

"Have Azazel go and collect her. I won't have her with him and his new friend."

"Of course," Emma said. "Although her mind seems to have been swayed. The telepath has gotten to her."

"Grace's mind has always been vulnerable. I doubt that will ever change for her. I'll see to it that she changes," Sebastian drawled, opening the brandy bottle on the desk. "And tell Azazel not to come back if he fails."

...

"I've never been with him since I was five." Grace explained to Charles.

He was sat next to Moira and the agent in black whilst Erik skulked around the back of the room. All that was in the small space was a desk and a few chairs which had been grabbed from other rooms on board the ship. Grace had finally begun to dry off from her time in the water, yet her body was still numb and cold.

"He put you into boarding school?" Charles checked with her.

He sat on the other side of the desk as Grace nodded at him. Her hands had begun to play with her curled hair, tugging the length of it slowly whilst she looked down to the desk. Erik had watched her for some time now. He knew that she avoided eye contact when she was nervous.

"Yeah, he said that it would be for the best. He wanted me to have the best education possible. He took me to look around colleges when I turned eighteen. That was when he said that law would be the best option for me...he said it was a safe degree to have...I agreed. I was pathetic, I know. I did it for him. I spent a year studying something I hated before I finally dropped out. I found an apartment and began waitressing for three years. Dad rarely spoke to me in that time."

Erik watched her, wondering how Schmidt could have managed to spawn a girl like Grace.

"He's manipulated you through the years," Charles told her, his gaze kind.

Raven stood at the back of the room, loitering in the corner as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. The girl was about the same age as she was, yet Raven pitied her more than anyone she had seen in Oxford.

"I never thought he was capable of this," Grace suddenly panicked, looking back to Charles. "I didn't think he could be so cruel...I mean...I look at him...I think about him, and I still can barely believe it."

"He left you alone," Erik told her, all eyes turning onto him. "He's a cruel man."

Grace caught his gaze again, her eyes widening as she did so. She continued to look at him whilst he stared back, unable to glance away from her large orbs.

_Stop it, Lensherr. She is his daughter. She is his blood. She deserves no pity._

"Anyway," Moira said, "we're taking you into CIA custody until this is all over. Your father is a threat. It would be best for you to stay away from him."

Moira continued to speak about the terms of her custody and Erik found his mind wandering away. It wasn't until he saw a familiar shadow in the corner did he speak again. The red mutant made its presence known in a small noise and Erik's jaw tensed.

"Charles!" he shouted, noticing the red creature move towards Grace.

Charles looked away from the brunette in time to see the mutant. Erik moved his hand hastily as Grace fell from her chair and moved with haste, doing her best to stay away from the red mutant's extended limbs. Erik moved the lamp from the desk, hitting the mutant and causing him to vanish again.

"Get her out of here," Charles snapped, pointing to Grace.

Moira grabbed hold of the girl as the agent in black opened the door and urged them to leave. Raven quickly transformed, turning herself into a clone of the girl as she noted the red creature at the end of the corridor. It looked at the pair of them, trying to weigh up which was the original.

"Who are you?" Charles demanded to know, pushing his way to stand in front of the huddled group. He pressed his fingers to his temple, trying to control the mutant, but it vanished again. Grace began to grip hold of Moira's upper arms harshly before Azazel reappeared in front of Raven.

The cloned girl moved to hit him, but he grabbed her wrist, his tail sinking into her side and she yelled out, turning into her blue form again.

"Raven," Charles called out, his mind distracted as he saw his sister collapse to the floor.

Azazel tossed her aside and advanced towards the real Grace Shaw, disappearing as he went. Moira dragged the girl further back down the corridor whilst Erik looked around, waiting for the red creature to show himself again.

It took only a few seconds before he did. His hand slapped Moira with harshness, the shock of his appearance catching her off guard. Azazel grabbed Grace's wrist, only to be stopped by Erik.

The metal bender took hold of his other wrist, punching him across the face as Grace tumbled from his hold. Erik grabbed onto her waist, drawing her back down the corridor and staying a safe distance from the mutant. He moved his hand outwards, the rage encompassing him as he moved his open palm to the ceiling and made it fall downwards, the metal crumbling down and hitting Azazel.

Erik continued moving back, Grace moving behind him as he went. The ceiling continued to crumble on the mutant and Azazel knew that he had to disappear again. He had no way of getting to the girl. He could feel the telepath trying to control his mind, only failing due to the falling ceiling interrupting his efforts.

Azazel's eyes caught Grace's before he vanished once and for all.

Erik didn't entirely believe he had gone. He kept his arm around Grace's waist whilst she panted for breath, the shock of what had just happened still coursing the adrenaline through her veins.

"Has he gone?" Charles was the one to ask.

He was still knelt by Raven, looking at the shallow wound. He saw the bent metal on the floor as Erik and Grace stood the other side of it.

"I don't know," Erik called back.

The agent in black tended to Moira, making sure that she was safe.

Grace looked around, her eyes scanning every possible area there was. She didn't believe that Azazel would be gone for long. All that it took was one touch. One touch and she was back with her father. Back with the man who had lied to her for so long.

"I should have gone with him," Grace whispered, only Erik hearing her. "He'll be back...he'll come...and hurt them..."

"No," Erik shook his head. "What do you think would have happened if you went with him?"

"No one would have been injured," Grace said, her eyes looking at Raven.

Erik moved his hand to grab hold of her chin, drawing her gaze to his. Grace couldn't help but think of how soft his hands were as they held her clammy skin.

"So long as you stay here then he is weak," Erik told her. "That means we have more of a chance to catch him."

Grace searched his gaze as he dropped his arm from her waist, his hand still holding her chin as he moved to stand in front of her. She continued to look into his harsh eyes, trying to figure him out as a gulp ran down her throat.

"You mean to kill him?" Grace whispered and Erik arched a brow.

"And would you try to stop me after everything he did to me?" Erik asked from her. He received no reply from her. He supposed that made a difference instead of listening to her yell at him. "You're going nowhere, Grace. I promise you that."

He moved his hand from her chin, running the back of it down her cheek in a smooth motion. She shivered at his touch before he grabbed her elbow and steered her back down the corridor. If the mutant came back for her then he would be taking Erik with him. He didn't intend to let go of the thing that could take him straight to Schmidt.

...

A/N: Thanks to anyone who is reading! I do hope you will let me know what you think so far!


	8. Chapter 8

The coastguard ship was docking slowly in harbour, leaving Grace with some time to clean up her appearance. She had managed to worm herself away from Erik's tight grip to go into a bathroom. She locked the door behind her, splashing her face with cold water and looking at her appearance. Her hair had dried without any volume; her face looked pale and gaunt. Her clothes had dried sticking to her skin and she couldn't wait to change from them.

Charles had told her that they would be staying in a hotel room that evening before heading back to a top secret location early the next morning. Grace had nodded along with his plans, having no intention in going along with Charles or his mutants.

She did her best to keep her mind closed and guarded from the telepath and so she kept her distance from him. She thought that she was doing well. Charles had been too concerned over bandaging his sister up to notice Grace.

It was Erik who she had to worry about.

Erik Lensherr, the man who had been right all along.

She still struggled to believe it. She had no intention to go along with the CIA or with Charles and his band of mutants. No. Grace wouldn't be a part of it. She didn't want to be with them, and she didn't want to be with her father.

Erik was intent on killing him. She couldn't stop him, and she couldn't blame him for wanting revenge. Of course, he had to get close enough to her father to kill him. Grace wouldn't help him do that. She wouldn't continue to be his pawn in the game of chess which he was playing. He thought that Shaw would slip up because of her. He could be right. He could wrong. Grace had no idea.

But she wouldn't help her father.

She wouldn't go back to him after what she had found out. She was washing her hands of him completely.

All she wanted at that moment in time was the grotty diner which she worked in. She wanted simplicity. She wanted to be around normal people. People who were concerned over their fluxuating weight, not about their father starting a war.

Grace kept quiet during the ride to the hotel, not saying anything as she sat in the back seat, squished between Erik and the agent in black. She was checked into a hotel room, courtesy of the CIA budget. She took her key and walked alongside the agent in black; seeing as both of them were staying on the same floor.

She smiled kindly at him as he made small talk with her. He made sure she safely made it to her room and told her that he'd phoned in advance to see if they could have some clothes placed in the room for her.

Grace locked the door behind her, looking down at her appearance. How was she supposed to get home? She was on the other side of the states. She had no money, no purse. She had nothing apart from the clothes she stood in.

Somehow she didn't care. Somehow she had to manage.

...

Erik loitered in the foyer, sitting in one of the plush chairs and pretending to read the paper which was on the coffee table in front of him. People moved in and out of the room, checking in and then going for a late night snack. Some went straight to their rooms in the posh hotel. Some simply decided to sit in the foyer after a day of constant activity, too tired at that moment in time to move up to their rooms.

Erik paid none of them any attention, his gaze focused ahead of him as he spotted familiar dark hair loitering by the bar in the lounge. He was about to get up and go to speak with Charles before the elevator pinged and he saw her step out. She brushed past reception without looking to the woman behind the desk. Erik held his paper up to his eyes, hiding his face from view as he saw her leave.

Charles had been picking up on Grace and her need to escape. He waited in the lounge for her to come down, his patience knowing no bounds as he sipped on a sparkling water. He saw her walk past the archway to the lounge before he moved from the stool he sat on. However, it wasn't him who chased after her.

He saw Erik hot on her heels and decided to let him go and speak with her. If Erik failed then Charles would make his move. The telepath pulled himself back to his stool and waited for the verdict.

"You're running away."

Erik's voice echoed along the quite sidewalk. Grace stood still, folding her arms over her chest as she did so. She turned around to see him moving towards her, sauntering casually in her direction.

"Don't even try to stop me," Grace snapped at him. "I'm going home. I'm not going to be a part of this."

"You already are a part of this," Erik warned her. "Do you think that your father will let you go home? As soon as he gets wind of you being alone then he will drag you back to him."

"I will tell him then," Grace said. "I'll tell him that I want nothing to do with him. I don't. I don't care what happens."

"You can't go," Erik warned her. "Do you honestly think Schmidt would leave you alone in California again? Do you think that will happen now?"

"I don't care what he wants!" Grace fumed, taking a step closer to Erik, her eyes full of fury as she did so. "I don't care what you want either. I know that you want to kill him. I know why too. I don't pretend not to understand." She took a deep breath. "But if you think for one minute that I will stay here and help you do that, then you're as deluded as you are annoying."

Erik took a moment to realise what she was saying.

"You know what he did to me," Erik protested to her. "You know what-"

"-That still doesn't change the fact that he is my dad," Grace said, her face scrunched up as she felt a headache advance on her. "He's the only family I've ever had...and...even though he has done what he did...even though he's...lied to me...used me...I'm not going to help you."

Erik regarded her with curiosity for a moment, watching as she took a few steps back.

"I'm sorry," Grace assured him. "I'm sorry for what he did, but don't use me in your game. Don't toy with me."

She turned around fully then, storming down the pathway and into the darkness. Erik took a moment to watch her go. Why were his words affecting him so? Why was he so bothered about what she thought? Why could he not take his eyes from her retreating form?

He didn't know.

He made to turn back to the hotel. He could find Schmidt on his own again. He'd manage. Besides, all Grace had been so far was a bag of nerves. He didn't need her with him.

It was only when Erik looked down an alleyway did he freeze. The sight he saw made even his blood run cold. Erik had seen some sights during his days. Of course he had. A gang of men stood in the darkness, their eyes looking to Erik as he noted something flash in the light. A blade of some kind.

Stupid girl. Erik ignored their stares at him before he turned on his heel and moved down the sidewalk, fully intent on catching Grace up. He found that it wasn't difficult. He saw her flowing hair turn left at the end of the street and he began to run, doing his best to catch up with her.

He finally grabbed hold of her arm, turning her around as she startled.

"I thought I told you-"

"-Just come back to the hotel," Erik urged her. "Look, the streets aren't safe at night."

"I'll be fine," Grace replied. "You know that if I go back there then Charles will make me stay. I'm shocked he doesn't know that I've left anyway."

"He does."

Grace turned her eyes to look over Erik's shoulder. The metal bender turned around, watching Charles as he walked with his hands in his pockets. He kept quiet for a few moments, watching the two of them before he tucked his hair behind his ears.

"I saw Erik go after you. I thought he would bring you back. When you ran off then I decided to make my move," Charles told her. "You cannot go back home. Shaw will come after you as soon as he knows you're unprotected."

"I can deal with my father," Grace complained to them. "Believe me; I've known him longer than you have. I have no intention of forgiving him for what he has done in his life. I can assure you of that."

"Agent MacTaggert was pretty clear in what she said," Charles told Grace, a tone of sadness to his voice for her. "Shaw is under scrutiny. We don't want you near him. We have no idea what his next move is. If you are with him then you're in trouble. We're doing this to keep you safe."

Grace listened to Charles and his explanation to her. She supposed he was talking sense to her. Charles seemingly wanted to keep her safe. Erik wanted her for his game.

"I know that you want to go home," Charles whispered, taking a step closer. "And you will when this is over. I promise you."

"I've only just met you," Grace replied to him and he smiled sadly, offering her his hand, trying to get her to accept him and believe him.

"I know that you've just me, but you can trust me," Charles promised her. "You've known you father for years and he's lied to you."

His words stung her for a moment. She took a deep breath and nodded in agreement with Charles, her hand slipping into his. She stepped closer to him and Erik curtly nodded, commending him for doing a good job.

...

Erik stood outside her door later in the evening, deciding to check up on her to make sure that she didn't disappear from sight. He took a moment to watch the wood before he knocked, waiting for her to answer. It took a few moments before he saw her come into sight.

She opened the door slightly, peering her head around it to see Erik stood there.

"What's up?" Grace asked, doing her best to sound casual about him being in her room.

"I thought that I should come and check up on you," Erik admitted. "To make sure you don't run off."

"Your faith in me is overwhelming," Grace spoke, the sarcasm rolling off of her tongue.

Erik pushed the door open as she moved into the room. He could see that she was waddling, her hand holding her leg as she flopped onto the end of the double bed. She pulled the leg she was holding onto the bed, her chin resting on her kneecap.

Erik closed the door as she pulled the robe she wore tighter around her form.

"You can see why my faith is misplaced," Erik told her. "You have tried to run off before."

"And you know why," Grace said. "Believe me; I do not want to be here."

"I don't want you to be here," Erik retorted to her.

"They why not make this easier on yourself?" Grace wondered, pressing the tissue to her leg to help stop the flowing blood. "Why don't you leave me alone and stop hovering around me?"

"All I did was come to check up on you." Erik informed her. "I didn't ask for the questioning."

"I think it would be for the best if you did stay away," Grace whispered to him.

It wasn't for his own gain. It was for her gain. She didn't know if she could be around him, knowing what her father had done to him. She knew that she shouldn't feel responsible for her father's actions, but she did.

"I'm struggling enough with you being here, never mind you being close," Grace finally admitted and Erik folded his arms over the black jumper which he wore. "Every time I see you...I see what he did...and..." she trailed off, her gaze looking to Erik again as her eyes widened. "And I know that he hurt you."

"He did," Erik assured her. "You didn't."

"I'm his _daughter_," she retorted. "Half of him is inside of me...I mean...I've been thinking about it. Am I anything like him?"

"From what I've seen then I struggle to believe you're related," Erik told her.

She began to stand up so that she could fetch more tissue from the bathroom. Erik held his hand out, urging her to remain seated as he moved into the bathroom. He took hold of a bunch of toilet paper and moved back into the bedroom, sitting beside her and handing her the clean tissue.

She disregarded the blooded piece on the floor and sniffed, scratching her nose.

Erik leaned forwards and clasped his hands together.

"I do feel guilty whenever I see you," replied Grace, focusing on stopping the bleeding. "I can't help it, I guess."

_Good. _A part of Erik couldn't contain that thought when it went through him. He shook his head as soon as he had thought it, knowing that it wasn't her fault. It just hurt him to see her and then see Shaw's features looking back at him.

"You didn't kill my mother," Erik replied to her. "He did."

"I know," Grace told Erik.

"Look," Erik said, "I see you and I see some mouthy waitress from California. I don't see another monster."

A small laugh escaped Grace as Erik's lips tugged upwards at hearing the shrill sound. She sniffed and looked at him from the corner of her eye.

"I'm not that mouthy," she protested, doing her best to keep the tone light.

It felt nice after hours of being interrogated and feeling herself fill up with guilt.

"No, of course not," Erik responded. "Anyway, how did you manage to cut your leg?"

"Oh," Grace said, looking down at her pale skin. "I cut myself shaving."

An amused look crossed Erik's face as Grace checked the wound and it stopped bleeding. She threw the tissues to the side and pulled her other leg up to her chin, wrapping her arms around them whilst Erik leaned back slightly, his hands holding his weight behind him.

"I didn't know it was possible for a woman to do that." He replied to her.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course it is, especially when not focusing on anything."

"It's still bleeding," Erik responded, noting a new wave of blood coming from her wound. He bent down to pick up the tissue, kneeling on the floor by the foot of the bed as he held the tissue to her leg. Grace remained sat where she was, allowing him to hold it there for her.

She tried to remember the last time anyone had helped her before. She didn't remember anyone having ever taken care of her in such a personal manner. It was something that confused her at that moment in time. She watched him as Erik looked to the floor, trying to reign in the annoyance he felt with himself.

Why was helping _his _daughter? There was always a voice inside of him which asked that. He just learned to ignore it. He couldn't let it eat him up. She was not _him. _She was different, completely different to him.

"You should get some sleep," Grace finally whispered. "Agent MacTaggert said that we need to leave early in the morning."

"Are you going to be fine sleeping by yourself?" Erik asked her. "What if Azazel comes back for you?"

"Then...well...you can't keep watch on me all the time, Erik. Charles said that he would keep his mind open."

"I'll take the couch," Erik said.

He stood up and took his seat on the couch as she picked up the dirtied tissues and threw them into the bin. Erik laid back on the soft cushions, his arm going behind his head whilst Grace fussed around the room, tidying up the mess she had made via disregarded clothes and towels.

She climbed into the double bed and switched the light off on the bedside table, bathing the room in darkness as she sighed and rested on her back. She kept her eyes open, her hands on her stomach as she watched the ceiling above her.

Erik didn't get an ounce of sleep as he remained on the sofa, waiting for something to happen that night. He knew that the girl was wondering why he was staying with her. Maybe she thought he did it out of kindness. Alas, Erik still had his own agenda. And his own agenda meant keeping her close.

"Thank you."

Her voice was soft in the darkness as she rolled onto her side, looking in the direction of the sofa.

"What for?" wondered Erik.

"Not hating me," Grace replied.

Erik took a deep breath, wondering how many times he had to tell her that she was not her father's daughter.

"Don't mention it, Grace."

...

"Where is she?" Sebastian snapped, unable to sleep that evening.

The anger which rose inside of him was vast. Azazel had been bested by three mutants. Two new ones and Erik Lensherr. Emma found him to be irritable after that. He had pushed everything from his desk, the anger coursing through his veins. She'd been shocked at first. Sebastian Shaw prided himself on being a calm and collected man.

He could talk his way out of any situation. He could cope against anyone who dared to wrong him. Yet here he was. Here he was, unable to get back the one thing he needed to keep on his side.

Emma closed her eyes and did her best to locate the girl. She finally found her, looking onto the scene which was unfolding in front of her. Her mouth gaped as Shaw noted her reaction. He did nothing for a moment, choosing to arch a brow and wait for her to tell him.

"I think it would be for the best if you saw this," Emma said, taking the visions she had seen and allowing them to move into his mind.

Shaw closed his eyes, seeing his daughter giving her hand to the telepath. He led her back to a hotel room, Erik following her closely. The image shifted away to her in her hotel room. She was curled up on the end of her bed, Erik Lensherr knelt on the floor and tending to her cut.

By then Shaw had seen enough. He opened his eyes and Emma pulled out of his mind. He mused for a moment, wondering if he had seen correctly. He knew that Erik Lensherr wanted him dead, yet he spent his evening tending to his daughter. Shaw couldn't understand it himself.

"Perhaps I could use this to my advantage," Sebastian whispered.

Emma's brow furrowed.

"How?" she dared to ask him.

"Wait and see, my love," he flashed his most charming smile. "Wait and see."

...

A/N: So no reviews for the previous chapter, so if you are reading then I would love to know what you think so far! It would mean a lot to me!


	9. Chapter 9

Erik had always been an early riser. It was something which had been instilled into him since a young age. He found himself waking up from the little amount of sleep which he had managed in to see the sunlight streaming through the curtains in the early morning. He pushed himself to stand up, looking over to the bed which Grace slept on.

He had to shake his head and roll his eyes in disbelief as he saw the young woman. She had managed to have a fight with the covers in the middle of the night. One bare leg hung out the covers, resting over the edge of the bed whilst one hand dangled by the bedside table.

But she somehow managed to look peaceful. Erik didn't know how that was. He dared to adjust the trousers on his legs along with the jumper he wore before he moved to the bed.

"Grace," he nudged her on the shoulder.

She snorted and grunted at him waking her up. She hadn't slept so well in a week or so. She didn't want to get up and go to some mutant Division X with Charles and Erik. She wanted to carry on sleeping until it was all over.

"Grace, you need to get up. We'll be leaving soon."

"Eurgh," she complained, finally opening her eyes as Erik moved into her bathroom, intent on washing his face and feeling the cold water against his skin. He kept quiet as he heard Grace roll out of bed and trudge around the room. She gathered some new clothes to wear, brushing past Erik as he left the bathroom and she went in to shower and change.

The metal bender heard the knock on the door and made his move to open it. Charles stood there; smartly dressed in a new suit as he nodded to the new man he had met and smiled softly.

"Good morning, Erik," he said. "I was under the impression that this was Grace's room."

"It is," Erik agreed, holding the door open to allow Charles to enter. "I slept on the couch to make sure the red mutant didn't appear. We don't want another repeat of the boat, do we?"

"No. We do not. And where is Grace now?"

"She's in the shower," Erik nodded to the closed bathroom door. He took a seat on the end of her unmade bed whilst Charles folded his arms and stood in the middle of the room.

Grace remained brushing her teeth as she heard Charles and Erik speak of her from behind the door. She did her best not to eavesdrop, not too sure whether or not she wanted to listen to what they had to say about her. She turned the shower on and climbed in. She heard her father's name mentioned and winced, allowing the water to run over her shoulders again.

She squeezed the ends of her hair together and allowed it to hang over her back as she thought of everything that was about to happen.

That was the bit which was beginning to worry her.

...

"You need to eat something."

Grace kept quiet as she moved into the foyer and stood there, glancing over the headlines of the day. Erik had allowed her to dress in peace before telling her that she had ten minutes to get down to the foyer or he would be back to find her.

She'd rolled her eyes and agreed with him, making sure that she didn't take long before she went down to the foyer. She'd been stood reading the paper as everyone else sat in the breakfast lounge, filling themselves with food for the long journey ahead of them.

Erik had picked up an apple and noticed Grace waiting by the entrance. He'd chewed on a bit of the apple and walked to meet her as she opened the first page of the paper.

"I'm not particularly hungry," Grace said, moving her gaze up to meet Erik's. She felt his eyes rake over her slim form and she crossed her ankles together, closing the paper and allowing it to fall against her stomach in her hand.

"What?" Erik wondered as he saw her glare at him.

"I know that I don't have the best figure, hell, I don't have a figure." She sniped quietly. "But that doesn't mean that you can run your eyes over me, got it?" she checked with him.

Erik held his hands up in surrender. "You need to eat something." He repeated. "I was just looking out for you."

There it was again. Looking out for her. He'd done that a few times now. It was beginning to make Grace feel uncomfortable. Yes, he could stand being in her company, but that didn't need to mean that he to be concerned for her welfare.

"Fine," Grace said, swiping the apple from his hands and taking a bite from the side he hadn't chewed.

A look of annoyance took hold of Erik's face. "I didn't mean _my _apple," he told her.

"I was just doing as you said," Grace said, throwing the paper back onto the coffee table before she nonchalantly shrugged at Erik.

"So childish," Erik complained, moving back to fetch another apple whilst Grace smirked at watching him leave her. She continued to chew on the apple as Charles wandered over to her with Raven hot on his heels.

"Grace," he greeted her. "I trust you slept well."

"Very," she nodded in agreement with him. "How are you this morning?"

"Good," Charles said. "I didn't get the chance to introduce you to my sister yesterday. Emma, this is Raven. Raven, this is Emma."

"Hey," the blonde smiled widely at the brunette.

"Oh," Emma said, "I am so sorry about what happened yesterday with Azazel...honestly..."

"No worries," Raven held a hand up to assure the girl. "It's not like it was your fault. Besides, it wasn't that bad, and I can finally say that I have a battle wound...which is pretty cool."

Grace nervously managed to smile back to the girl as Erik rejoined the conversation.

"I found myself another apple," he spoke, glaring back to the waitress as she rolled her eyes and took another bite from her fruit.

"Good," she replied.

"Am I missing something?" Charles wondered from them and Erik shook his head, walking past them and looking down to Grace with a smug look planted on his face;

"Nothing that I can't handle."

Raven watched Erik leave, a look of wonder on her face as he went. There was something about him which she didn't quite understand. Unfortunately Grace didn't have that issue. She was finding herself getting to know Erik Lensherr quite well, without even knowing it herself.

...

Grace wasn't one to complain often. She had to admit that she rarely had before she had been taken by the metal bending mutant. She did her best to keep calm and rely on what she had. But time was slowly going by. Time that meant she was growing frustrated to the point where she did want to complain.

She didn't know how long she had spent trapped between Erik and Raven in the back seat of the car. She had been pushed into the middle after Charles had practically rushed for the front seat along with the agent in black. Moira had taken a car with some of her CIA agents, looking slightly put out by it as she did so.

Grace said nothing as she felt Erik's arm brush against hers and finally pushed her further into the seat. She did feel like saying something when Raven climbed into the other side of the car and Grace felt her push against Grace's other arm. The young woman remained silent as she was force to be squished against them.

"We'll be getting on a plane soon enough," Charles told the group. "And then it is a simple flight to Virginia."

"And then a drive to my mutant division." The agent in black spoke. "I'm hoping that you'll find it satisfactory there."

"I don't doubt it," Charles said, sensing that he wouldn't get a reaction from the back seat.

Grace looked out the window on Erik's side, watching the passing scenery as he slowly shifted in his seat, readjusting his arm against hers.

He said nothing as they made their way through the airport and to the small jet. He also didn't say anything once he took his seat next to Charles and Raven sat beside Grace.

"So, you live in California?" she checked with Grace, snapping the girl's attention from the cloud they were passing through.

"Yeah," Grace said. "I'm a waitress there. Obviously it isn't a career choice I planned on having."

"You're a waitress?" Raven checked with her.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I sort of study waitressing at Oxford," Raven smirked back, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I've never known what I wanted to do in life, I guess. Charles took me in when I was young. He studied there and I found a job to earn my keep."

Grace smiled back to Raven.

"I studied law to begin with," she replied. "I dropped out after the first year. You need some kind of job to pay the bills, don't you?" she shrugged and Raven nodded enthusiastically.

"Exactly!" Raven smiled, dragging Charles's attention from his conversation with Erik to turn back and look at the two girls. "I guessed that it was easy money. I mean, I have kind of lost my faith in humanity though. Some people are so rude. Others are just sleazes."

"Tell me about it," Grace said back to her with wide eyes, nodding as she went. She felt at ease around Raven. She didn't know what it was about the young mutant, but she didn't mind. Grace forgot everything for a moment.

"You know," smirked Raven, "you're not that bad, all things considered."

Grace nervously smiled, her hair being pushed behind her ears as she glanced down to her lap. "I think you're the only one who thinks so."

"Nah," Raven waved a hand. "Charles thinks you're sweet. You've got nothing to worry about there."

Grace's eyes lifted up as she dared to look over to Erik. He was too busy speaking with Charles to notice her. She sighed lightly. It wasn't Charles's opinion she seemed to worry about.

...

Another yawn escaped the waitress as she stood in the arrivals lounge of the airport in Virginia. Moira had gone off with the agent in black to check that the cars were coming whilst Charles spoke with Raven.

Erik stood beside Grace as they looked at the board of arriving flights for something to do. Grace pulled the jacket she wore tighter around her form before she heard Erik speak to her.

"I'm not staying here."

She looked up to him, almost tempted to tell him to take his sunglasses from his eyes when he was indoors. It was just rude. But what he had said took precedent.

"Well, no," Grace frowned, "you can't spend your entire life in an arrival lounge of an airport."

Erik looked unimpressed with the girl's wit as she rolled her eyes and reached up to take his sunglasses off of his eyes. She supposed some things bugged her more than others. She folded them up and placed them into his leather jacket pocket.

"It's not sunny in here," she told him. "You don't need them. Anyway, explain what you meant about not staying here."

"I'm going with them back to the base," Erik said. "I want all the information possible on Shaw. I don't need help in finding him. I've managed so far on my own."

"Right," Grace nodded, "and do you think they're going to let that happen? Charles is a telepath, Erik. I doubt he would let you go alone."

"He'd be a fool to try and stop me," Erik assured her. "He'd do well to know that he's not welcome to stay in my head."

Grace ran a hand through her puffy hair, shaking her head as she did so. She looked up to Erik for a moment before she spoke.

"You're one mutant," she whispered. "You're one mutant against my dad and three others. Who do you think has the advantage? You've tried to kill him alone before. Did it work? No. You fell from the yacht and watched him escape."

"I've learned from my mistakes."

"Really?" Grace wondered from Erik. "My dad is no fool, Erik. You know that as well as I. He will sense you coming and he will make sure that he is prepared for when you arrive."

"He can be beaten."

"Yes," agreed Grace, searching his stern gaze. "I know that he can...but...you cannot beat him alone. He has allies. He has people he relies on to help him against you. You don't stand a chance. Would you just listen to me for once?"

"Why?" Erik asked her, his brow arched at her. "It sounds to me as if you are just trying to stop me from killing him."

"I'm trying to stop you from getting yourself killed," hissed Grace. "Why can't you see that? I'm not protecting him anymore. If I wanted to protect him then I would have ran away last night. I would have gone and he would have found me."

Erik listened to her as she tried to convince him to do the safest thing. He knew that a small part of him believed her. The vast majority of him kept on repeating who she was. But it was the minority which was winning. It was the niggling bit inside of him which believed her.

"I know that I bring nothing to this," she whispered, almost sounding ashamed of herself. "I know that I am not like you. I have no idea what he put you through...the pain...but...I do know him. And I do know he is powerful, even more so considering he has friends."

Grace shrugged to Erik.

"I don't want you to hurt him, but he does need to be caught. There's only one way to do that, and it isn't running off and going alone."

Erik's eyes found hers and he wondered if she spoke sense. And then she did something he never thought she would.

She placed her hand onto his jacket covered arm, her gaze soft as she wanly smiled up to him.

"Don't do anything brash," Grace urged him. "You'll regret it in the end."

She walked away from him then, moving back over to Raven as Charles finished speaking with Moira before he saw Erik. Charles walked over to the man, knowing full well what he intended to do that evening. He folded his fingers together behind his back and fell into step next to Erik.

"She's right." Charles said.

"She's very good at manipulation," Erik replied.

Charles grinned as he saw her walk off with his sister. Raven had that same trait too. "I think it is something to do with waitressing."

...

So happy with the three reviews from yesterday! Thanks to Miss. Lori MacManus, DamonSalvatorelover and Cardbored for reviewing! And also to Se acerca el invierno for their PM!

I hope you will keep reading and reviewing. I'd love to know what you think!


	10. Chapter 10

Grace had never seen so much fuss created. She stepped out of the car behind Erik once they reached Division X, only to be apprehended by two agents. She looked around in confusion. Moira's car pulled up behind theirs and the CIA agent jumped out as soon as she saw Grace being taken away.

"What is this McCone?" Moira snapped as two men made their way towards the new recruits.

"She's his daughter," McCone snapped. "Did you see what he did to the coastguard's boats? Him and his mutants?"

"I saw," Moira said, "but what evidence do you have to treat his daughter like this? She has done nothing to help him."

"We will take her into questioning," McCone said, turning his attention away from Moira and back to Grace. She remained limp in the guard's holds, deciding that not fighting would be for the best.

Erik stood next to Charles as Raven glowered at the agents.

"And does the rough treatment come with the questioning?" Grace finally snapped.

"No, Miss Shaw," he replied. "It comes with being the daughter of a man who is wanted by the CIA for crimes against this country . Now, you would do well to cooperate with us here. I'm Director McCone and my colleague is Agent Stryker."

"Pleasure," Grace said, the distaste and sarcasm in her voice evident. "Listen, I have no idea what he's planning. I haven't seen him in ages."

"Do you think that I haven't already questioned her?" Moira dared to ask. "I'm a CIA agent. I know how to do my job."

"Your job was to take the mutants to Division X," Stryker reminded her. "I don't think that you did that, do you, MacTaggert?"

Moira bit down on her lip then, choosing to keep quiet as the agent in black looked around uncomfortably, preferring not to get dragged into the conversation that was happening.

"Fine," Grace lowly growled. "I'll answer your questions, but I promise you that you will not find anything."

"We will be the ones to judge that," Stryker assured her, brusquely nodding to the men holding her.

"I'll come with you," Charles said to her. "I'll wait outside."

Grace nodded as she slowly walked beside the agents and made her way into questioning. Charles exasperated a loud sigh whilst Moira shook her head.

"I'll go with her," she said. "I'll make sure they're not too tough on her. You go with the others...I think you're about to get the guided tour of the place."

Charles nodded with content, happy that Moira would see to it that the young girl did not suffer.

"Bring her back when she is finished," Charles urged her. "I'll keep my mind open for any sign of disturbance."

"Okay," Moira said, waving one hand in goodbye before she turned and walked off.

Erik watched the agent move away, peeling the sunglasses from his eyes as they entered the building and he looked around, following the agent in black as he explained everything to them. Erik had to frown. He clearly was infatuated with his Division.

...

Grace felt like banging her head against the table. In fact, she ended up doing that multiple times when the agents had left her alone to discuss things amongst themselves. She couldn't believe that she was being kept a prisoner in the interview room. She had done nothing wrong.

She had actually done nothing to get into trouble for once in her life. This was all her father.

Grace kept her forehead rested on the cold metal as she heard the door swing open, the hinges creaking as Moira stepped in, a plastic cup in her hands. She held it out to Grace before sitting in Stryker's empty seat.

"How are you holding up?" Moira asked her.

"They've gone over my life story so many times that I'm tempted to write an autobiography," frowned Grace, pressing the cold water to her lips. "I'm fed up. Honestly, what do they think I am going to do? I'm not a mutant."

"No, you're related to one though," Moira reminded her, folding her legs underneath the table. "They won't keep you in here for much longer. They've just gone to get a drink and a snack."

"So they're allowed food, but the daughter of the enemy isn't?" Grace checked. "Well this is just great."

Moira smirked at the girl's attitude, finding herself unable to do anything but smile. Grace ran a hand through her hair, pushing it behind her shoulders as she looked around the room. Tapping her fingers against the plastic cup, she turned to glance back at Moira.

"Where's everyone else?" Grace wondered.

"They're waiting in the recreation room for you before going out for dinner somewhere."

"They're waiting for me?" Grace checked with her. "Why?"

Moira arched a brow, shrugging as she did so. "Why do you think? Raven's incredibly concerned about you. It seems that you made a good impression on her."

Grace felt her eyes widen as she heard that. She'd never truly thought of it before. She had always assumed that she was there because she had nowhere else to go. She knew that they wanted to keep her safe, but she didn't think that they would want her company. Hell, even her own father never really wanted her company.

"Charles likes to keep his eye on you," Moira said, unable to stop the tug of her lips as she said his name. "He's always concerned, isn't he? Anyway, he found another mutant. A boy who works here...well...his mutation is different. He has large feet. You should see them."

"Large feet?" Grace checked; her gaze sceptical.

"That's what I thought," Moira nodded. "But, it helps him to hold onto things and run fast. I guess it is nowhere near as interesting as being a metal bender or a telepath."

"No," Grace solemnly agreed. "I guess it isn't."

She assumed that Erik had taken her advice and hadn't run away. She doubted he could under the watchful gaze of Charles.

"Right, where were we?"

The door creaked open and the two men walked back in with a cup of steaming coffee in their hands. It was only then when Grace face planted the table again.

...

"Hallelujah!" Raven called out as soon as she saw Grace move towards them in the entrance hall to the Division. The blonde moved forwards and swept Grace into a hug, a move which Grace had never contemplated doing to anyone before.

"We thought we'd never get to eat," Raven complained to her. "We've been stood here for hours waiting."

"You should have gone without me," Grace said, doing her best to stifle a yawn.

Who knew that questioning would be so tiring?

"That would have been rude," Raven said. "Come on, we figured that we could go and get pizza if that's good?"

"Fine with me," Grace nodded.

Moira walked beside Charles into the darkness and Raven took it upon herself to introduce Hank to Grace. The waitress smiled at the young man as Raven looked intrigued by him. Erik remained loitering at the back of the group as he moved to walk next to Grace once Raven and Hank had gone off.

They climbed into one car along with Moira and Charles whilst Erik motioned to another car.

"You're with me," he grunted to her.

Grace nodded and looked to Erik as he sat in the driver's side. She arched a brow at him before airing her concern;

"Do you have a drivers licence?" she wondered. "Like, have you even passed your test in the States?"

"Considering that I'm German then what do you think?" Erik replied to her, starting the car up.

Grace shook her head at hearing him, moving closer across the seat of the car to keep her foot on the brake.

"You're not driving," she told him. "It's illegal."

"So?" Erik wondered. "I doubt anyone is going to care."

"I do, and so would Moira if she knew," Grace replied to him. "Listen, call me a prude, but you're not going to drive. What if we get pulled over?"

"We won't."

"You can't say that," Grace said. "I once drove to the store for milk and was pulled over. A two minute journey turned into a forty minute one."

"Do you have your driver's licence on you?" Erik wondered.

"Well, no, but I am on the database if they look me up," Grace told him. "So stop arguing and move."

"You're serious," Erik arched his brow as Grace nodded at him. Of course she was serious. "So your father can go around and murder people, but I can't drive without a licence?"

She frowned at that, glowering at Erik. He instantly regretted bringing up her father, not that he would ever admit to that. He was much too proud to do so.

"Move," Grace demanded gruffly from him. "I'm not joking."

Erik mumbled some obscenities under his breath but did as he was told. He climbed out the door and Grace took his seat, both of her hands on the wheel as she watched Erik sit in her vacant seat.

"This is ridiculous," he told her.

"Whatever," muttered Grace, bringing the clutch out too early and stalling the car. She groaned once and took a deep breath. Erik looked at her, his eyes wide and concerned.

"When did you last drive?"

"Not long ago."

"Define not long ago," he demanded.

"Like, two years," Grace said nonchalantly. "I had to get rid of my car and I couldn't afford another one."

She finally set off and changed gear, following Moira who was driving in front of them. She kept her body close to the wheel, making sure that the road had her full concentration, not the snide man next to her.

"Great, you're going to get us killed then. I told you that my licence was irrelevant in the scheme of things."

Grace rolled her eyes before turning right out of the junction.

"You control metal, don't you?" she snapped. "Surely you can control anything from happening in a car which is mainly made of metal."

Erik grunted at her response and a smug smirk came over her. She was happy she had managed to silence him.

"So what did the agent's want to know?" Erik finally asked as Grace slipped into another gear.

She shook her head, moving one hand from the wheel to push through her hair. "They just wanted to know everything that I knew about my dad. I told them that it wasn't a lot, but they weren't content until I had gone over the story hundreds of times."

"Hundreds sounds like an exaggeration," Erik replied, his eyes looking out the window.

Grace turned to look at him as he allowed his mind to think of something else. He seemed peaceful for once, like nothing was bothering him. She looked back to the road, a content smile on her face as she did so.

...

Grace had learnt that there were two types of women in the world. There were those who had the fortune to be ladylike, whether it came naturally or not. Then there were those who struggled with elegance. She looked over to Moira as she delicately chewed on her slice of pizza. And then she considered herself. She most certainly fell into the latter category.

She'd taken a seat next to Raven, but the blonde mutant seemed more interested in the company of Hank. Grace could understand why. She was a good looking young woman, and Hank was attractive in his own geeky way.

He did seem nervous to speak with her though, especially so considering her brother sat across from them.

The night went by slowly, but it was pleasant. Grace had managed to smile a few times. She'd even seen Erik's lips tug upwards at some things which Charles had said. When they weren't speaking then there was a comfortable silence between them all.

"I suppose etiquette classes weren't included in your high school?" Erik suddenly asked her.

Grace's brows furrowed as she heard him speak. Charles and Moira lapsed into conversation about what work they would do the following day.

"Why?"

"You've got pizza around your mouth," Erik told her.

Embarrassed, Grace grabbed hold of the napkin from the table and wiped it over her mouth. Erik's smirk seemed to remain in place as she failed to wipe the red smear from her lip. He grabbed his own napkin and delicately moved it towards her lip.

She startled for a moment as she felt the back of his fingers brush against her cheek. Unknowingly, her pulse began to quicken as he completed the motion and his fingers left a lingering touch on her skin.

_Stop it, Grace. You know who he is. You know exactly who he is. You're only reacting like this because he's attractive and you haven't had a man in so long._

Her thoughts consumed her as Erik casually returned to the conversation with Charles. Sipping on her iced water she closed her eyes and longed for a night of rest.

...

Erik kept quiet as Grace took the car keys out of her jacket pocket, pulling the leather from her body in the humid night air. She stood in her simple black shirt which was tucked into a black skirt. She said nothing as she climbed into the driver's seat and dropped her coat between the pair of them.

She began to drive back towards base, once again deciding it would be wise to follow Moira out of the car park.

"You decided to stay," Grace spoke; too scared that the silence would swallow her up.

"I did," agreed Erik. "Did you not think that I would?"

"I thought that I might not be able to persuade you," Grace admitted to Erik. "You're the stubborn sort."

"Your words persuaded me," Erik replied to her, his voice low as he did so.

_That means you didn't, Grace. Your big mouth did something right for once, that was all. Don't think that this means he cares about you or even likes you._

Grace kept silent for a few moments, focusing on pulling out of the junction. She yawned as she went, her body exhausted after a long day of driving and quizzing. All she wanted was somewhere to rest her head for the night. She didn't know whether the Division had rooms or not. She was unsure as to how it was devised.

"You stayed anyway," Erik replied, deciding that turning the tables on her would be the easiest thing to do. It was the normal thing to do when someone began to ask him questions. Erik's wasn't a big fan of answering them.

"Well...what other choice did I really have?" Grace wondered. "I mean, you control an element...Charles reads minds...you both wouldn't let me go."

A small chuckle left Erik's lips as he heard her. She nodded once, her lips tugging upwards in a small smile.

"And there is no knight in shining armour coming for me, is there? No, I used to think there was. When I was in school...when I was little and I asked my dad to read Sleeping Beauty to me. Mom always used to read it," Grace said, unable to stop herself from speaking as she thought back to that day. The day when her father had told her that it was time for her to grow up. "He told me that I was six. I was six and I needed to learn that you made your own way in life. He said that no man would treat me like Prince Phillip."

She paused for a moment, feeling Erik's stare on her. His eyes were intense as she continued to speak, her voice full of distaste and sadness at the same time. Erik didn't know how she did it.

"Of course I ignored him. What girl would believe that? It was only when I was with my first boyfriend did I finally see what dad had meant. I suppose I do have him to thank for bringing me into the real world."

"You don't need to thank him for anything," Erik replied after a moment of silence. "What has he done for you that is worth your thanks?"

"Nothing, I suspect," Grace admitted. "Sorry, you didn't need to hear my stupid story. When I start talking I sometimes can't stop."

"I've noticed," Erik told her and she finally met his gaze, the cocky smile occupying his face.

Rolling her eyes, she said nothing back to him and went back to focus on her driving.

"Don't you think it's odd?" she wondered, changing the conversation. "He hasn't sent his mutant for me. He hasn't tried to contact me through his telepath...I mean...as soon as he found out you had me...well...he went mental, didn't he?"

Erik rolled his eyes, amazed that this thought had only just occurred to her. It was all that Erik could think about.

"Yes," he agreed.

"Why do you think that is?" Grace asked, turning the steering wheel to veer left down the windy road.

"Who knows?" the rhetorical question hung in the air. "No one knows the working of Schmidt's mind."

And it was true. Grace couldn't even contest it. She just knew that her father's mind would be working up something. That was the part which worried her.

...

A/N: So thanks to everyone who is reading so far and I hope you will review! Not many reviews for the story so I'm hoping that I'm not updating too fast. Do let me know what you think!


	11. Chapter 11

"Is this safe?" Grace wondered.

She looked around the giant machine, her eyes wide as she took in the surroundings. She still stood on the steps, her hand on the railings as Charles and Raven bounded ahead of her. Erik stood behind her, impatiently clucking his tongue as he waited for her wonder to stop.

"Perfectly," Hank replied. "I call it Cerebro, as in the Spanish for-"

"-The Spanish for brain," Charles finished off, a geeky smile on his face as he looked around the large machine. Raven stood next to Hank, her gaze looking at the controls of the machine. Grace said nothing as she listened to Erik and Charles speak with each other.

She still had her doubts about the machine, especially when Charles placed a large helmet on top of his head. She stood back next to Erik, wondering what was about to happen as Hank began to machine. She shrieked as she heard Charles groan in some kind of pain.

"Is he okay?" Raven was the one to ask Hank, the fear in her voice rising.

"It's working," Charles said as Hank opened his mouth to speak. A laugh escaped Charles as the machine jumped into action and Grace wandered over to see the coordinates make an appearance. Erik followed her, looking over her shoulder whilst Hank grinned, a sense of cockiness coming over him.

"It is," Erik nodded in agreement.

Grace watched as the numbers continued to spill onto the paper and she wondered how many mutants there were in the world. How many of them had extraordinary powers? How many of them were scared to show it though? She didn't know, and she doubted she ever would know.

She turned back around as Erik looked down to her, his gaze catching hers before she saw Charles climb down from the platform, running his hands through his hair to ruffle it back up. He moved to look at Erik, nodding curtly at his friend.

"We should go as soon as possible," Charles told him. "We have work to do."

"You're both going?" Grace wondered, her arms folding over her chest as she did so. A moment of worry took hold of her as she said nothing for a few seconds. Charles and Erik had been the ones who had kept her safe.

She didn't have much trust in the CIA agents. She had a feeling that they would sell her back to her father if any danger came close to them. Not that she could blame them.

"Yes, love," Charles said, his arm moving to guide her back to the steps of Cerebro. She climbed down them with Charles behind her, leaving Hank, Raven and Erik in the machine.

"How long will you be gone for?" Grace wondered. "It's not that I'm...well..."

"You're worried," Charles told her, ignoring her protests. "I know that you are, Grace. I cannot blame you. But nothing shall happen to you. Your father has been quiet thus far. I assume he will be quiet for a while longer. You'll have Raven and Hank with you in the meantime. Besides, you're at a CIA base."

She felt her gaze look over the vast field in front of her before it settled on the window to the recreation room. Keeping quiet, she reached one hand to pull her hair into a ponytail with the elastic band she kept around her wrist.

"I guess," she said, still not completely appeased.

Why was she so scared? If her father came for then what did she really fear? He wouldn't hurt her. He'd had years to do that, but he'd never laid a finger on her. Grace needed to stop panicking about it.

She supposed she wasn't scared of her father hurting her. She was scared of seeing him after knowing what he had done. She had no idea what she'd say to him. She had no idea what he would say to her either.

"Just spend this time...well...not to worry," Charles suggested to her. "We should be back with the first recruit later on tonight."

"It's fine," Grace said, waving a nonchalant hand. "I'll be fine. Look, you go and do what you need to do. I'm sure that you and Erik have better things to do other than babysit...I mean..."

"You're rambling," Charles warned her, a small smirk on his face. "Go inside and get some rest. Erik tells me that you didn't sleep well last night."

Grace looked apprehensive. "And how would Erik know that?"

"He said that he found you on the couch in the recreation room. Apparently he couldn't sleep and you were talking in your sleep."

Grace frowned as she saw Erik come down the stairs.

"He never said anything."

Charles scoffed at that, his hand resting on her shoulder as he moved back inside.

"Did you honestly think he would?"

...

Erik had stood still for some time. He was drained, he couldn't deny that. He was stood by the window of the room where Charles was introducing Angel to the other mutants. He looked out as the darkness engulfed the lawn in front of him. He could see her figure sat on the grass, her arms wrapped around her knees as she stared to the sky.

Charles had looked at his friend for a few moments, wondering what was going through the metal bender's mind. He was almost tempted to take a look. He knew that would be wrong, but Erik made Charles inquisitive. There was something about him and the way he stared at the woman on the lawn.

Charles didn't know what Erik saw in her. He didn't know why he sat with her, why he spoke with her like he did. Charles had seen that Erik was full of rage. He was full of so much anger towards her father, but he never vented it against her. He never spoke to her with distaste, or with hate. It made Charles see the good inside of him.

"She should come inside," Charles declared, moving to stand next to Erik as he looked onto the lawn. "It's getting dark and cold."

"Hm," Erik grunted before Charles looked up to the man he had befriended.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," replied Erik.

"Come along, Erik," Charles chuckled. "I know that I have not known you for long, but I know that there is something on your mind. Something regarding the girl out there."

Erik kept still, his emotions unreadable as he listened to Charles and did his best not to look so worried.

"Something is going to happen," Erik said. "I can feel it, Charles."

His eyes met the telepath's and the smirk dropped from Charles's face.

"Shaw came after her as soon as I found her. He fed her with lies about me. He did his best to cover up the truth. He manipulated her...yet...here she is. She's been with us for two days and there has been nothing since Azazel. Why? Why has he left her here?"

"Perhaps he knows that she knows the truth?" Charles suggested. "Maybe he knows that there is no way out this mess."

"There's something more," Erik said, shaking his head back and forth. "I can sense it, Charles. He's planning something."

"You don't know that, and it may be nothing to do with her," Charles said. "I mean, what can he use her for, Erik? He's probably come to realise that he's lost his daughter."

Erik kept quiet, knowing full well that Charles always tried to look on the brighter side of life. Erik didn't share his optimism. He never did. Erik liked to think that he was practical, hence why his views differed from Charles's.

"I'll go out and speak to her," Charles said.

"No," Erik replied. "I'll go to see what she's doing."

"As you say," agreed Charles with a curt nod.

Erik moved slowly, his mind still working overtime as he thought about everything that he had just discussed with Charles. He wandered down the lawn to where Grace sat, her mind clearly elsewhere as she paid no heed to Erik.

"What are you doing out here?" Erik asked from her.

She said nothing, hugging herself tighter and running her hands down the lapels of her leather jacket, pulling it tighter around her body. She said nothing for a few moments, wondering how stupid her answer would sound to him.

"Nothing," she replied. "Did you find the mutant?"

"After half an hour in a strip club, we did." Erik smirked. "She's called Angel. Pretty self explanatory. She can fly."

"You and Charles must have looked like dirty old men."

"I'm hardly old."

"Dirty, then," Grace smirked up to him as he rolled his eyes.

"As you say. Now are you going to tell me why you're out here?"

"Thinking," Grace admitted to Erik. "I mean...have you ever looked at the stars and realised that you're not the only one here? Like...there are hundreds of other people looking at the same sky as you? And then...some of them...some of them have extraordinary powers. Some of them are like you. Some of them are like Charles...maybe Hank..."

She turned her eyes to look at Erik as he finally sat next to her, his hands extending behind him as he leaned back to look at the sky, supposing that she had a point. She looked over him, silently impressed at the expensive suit which he donned.

"I always thought that I was alone," Erik told her. "After the camp, I spent my time alone. I never considered that there were other more evolved people...others who understood what it felt like to be different..."

"I can only imagine," whispered Grace. "I don't know how it happened, but it did. I look at Hank and Raven and they're lovely together, but they're so scared. They're scared that society won't accept them for who they are."

"It won't," Erik told her, his voice nothing more than a mutter. "How can it accept something more evolved? It fears it, Grace."

"It could come to understand," Grace replied. "Moira has. I have. Why not others?"

"Because not everyone is like you or Moira," warned Erik. "You need to remember that."

Grace said nothing more on the matter, knowing that an argument with Erik would never get her anywhere. She was well aware of it. She stood up and looked down on Erik.

"We should go in before it becomes cold and Charles yells at us," she told him, wiping the back of her legs clean of the grass which stuck to her. She waited for Erik to stand besides her. He moved from the grass promptly, ambling by her side before he felt a presence in the night air.

He stopped walking and turned around, his eyes narrowed as he did his best to focus.

"What is it?" Grace asked from him. "Erik? What is it?"

"Keep your hand on my arm," Erik lowly growled, the breeze blowing.

After years of torment, Erik had learned when danger was imminent. And he knew at that moment in time that it was close. He supposed it was Shaw finally making his move. Grace did as she was told, walking backwards as her fingers curled around his arm and she kept hold of him.

She turned to look behind her, almost yelling at the sight which she saw. Erik felt the tensing of her fingers and he turned around, his elbow nudging her stomach and pushing her to the ground and out of the way.

The red mutant stood there, his face proud as he did so. He ducked the punch which Erik aimed for him, disappearing from sight.

"Grace!"

Charles's voice suddenly snapped as he ran out of the building after looking through the window. Hank and Raven were close on his heels whilst Angel remained stood where she was.

Grace remained on the ground, looking around with worry before Erik moved towards her. She reached her hand out to him as he held his hand out to her. Her fingers curled around his for a moment before she felt a force dragging on her hair.

"No!" Grace yelled as Erik lost hold of her sweaty fingers and the red mutant continued to pull on her hair, dragging her far enough away from Erik to teleport her with him.

Erik moved with haste, lunging across the grass, but he was too late. The red mutant disappeared with Grace and Erik shook his head, wondering what would happen to the girl now.

...

Sebastian sat on the sofa, his hand resting over the back of it whilst Emma rested against her side. He knew what he intended to do with his daughter when she returned to him. It didn't take long for Azazel to get the job done this time. He appeared quickly, Grace Shaw in his grip as she struggled around.

"Get the hell off of me!" she snapped.

Emma smirked at the spirit of the girl as Azazel moved away from her, preferring not to be slapped by the volatile chit. She pushed her hair from her face as Sebastian stood up, looking across to his daughter, a smug grin on his face as he did so.

"Gracie," he sighed her name. "You have no idea how worried I've been about you."

Grace said nothing to her father, deeming it necessary to gather the courage to look at him first. Her eyes finally travelled over his form. He wore a dark suit with a red tie, the smug smirk on his face as he watched his daughter. Grace's eyes widened and she promised herself not to cry, regardless of anything that her father told her.

"You have no right," Grace whispered. "I want nothing to do with you."

"Oh, Grace," Sebastian sighed, moving over to her.

She backed away instantly, the back of her legs hitting his desk as she wobbled around on her feet, doing her best to keep her balance.

"Stay away from me," she urged him. "I mean it, just don't come anywhere near me!"

"You always have been over dramatic," Sebastian complained about her.

He went to take hold of a small glass and poured some whiskey into it, handing it out to the girl. She said nothing, her glare enough to tell him that if she took the liquid then it would be over his head in a moment.

"We have an issue, darling," Sebastian told his daughter. "You see, Emma tells me that there is some activity at the CIA base. We need to know what's happening."

She scoffed at that, her glare flickering over to the telepath. "Can't she tell you? She is a telepath, isn't she?"

"Apparently the telepath your with would pick up on it," Shaw said with a wave of his hand. He kept quiet for a second, watching as Grace pushed her hair behind her ears. "She has done well to keep tabs on you without him noticing...but...to look into your mind...it would be too dangerous."

"And what makes you think I would tell you anything?" wondered Grace from her father.

Her brow arched as she kept her arms folded across her leather jacket. Sebastian kept quiet for a moment, looking to Emma who nodded.

"I don't want to hurt you, Gracie."

"Not like you did Erik?" Grace wondered. "He's told me what you did to him."

"He's told you a lot more, hasn't he?" Emma interjected. "I've seen the two of you when you're alone and the telepath isn't around. Sweet, isn't he? Taking care of you like a child."

Grace glowered further, her cheeks tinting red. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"No need to play dumb, darling," Sebastian told his daughter. "Your sympathy for Erik Lensherr is quite something when you consider that he's been lying to you all along."

Grace spluttered. "You...seriously? Don't even..."

"Emma," Sebastian nodded at the woman.

She focused her gaze onto his daughter, narrowing her eyes as she did her best to look into Grace's memory. The young woman seemingly froze, her mind clouded as she did nothing. Sebastian remained stood where he was, waiting for Emma to finish altering Grace's memories. He needed her to believe him. He needed her to cooperate with him.

It would make his life easier.

Grace's eyes opened and she blinked profusely, her entire memory a blur for a moment. Sebastian looked back to Emma as she nodded to him. She'd done what he had asked her to do.

"Grace, sweetheart," Sebastian whispered to his daughter, snapping her out of the daze she was in.

"Dad," she whispered. "He...he lied to me...he...both of them..."

"What are you talking about, Gracie?" Sebastian wondered, playing along with his daughter as he saw tears form in her eyes. "What is it?"

"Erik," Grace whispered. "You just tried to help him. That was all you did. You wanted to help him."

Sebastian did his best to refrain from smirking. Altering his daughter's perceptions was something which Emma had done easily. He'd see to it that he thanked her when Grace had left. Sebastian stepped forwards, his arms open as Grace wrapped herself against his chest.

"He didn't care about me...none of them did..." she sobbed. "They lied...and...and I almost believed them..."

"Sh," Sebastian soothed his daughter, his hand running down her limp curls. "It is over now, darling. Erik isn't going to hurt me, and he isn't going to hurt you. I promise you that."

Grace pulled back, her eyes wide and her face so innocently childlike that Sebastian was reminded of her youth.

"I'm sorry." She said again through a gurgle.

"You do not need to be sorry for anything," Sebastian promised her, taking hold of her hand and leading her to the sofa.

Emma stood up and moved to the corner, watching with concern as Sebastian sat next to his daughter, both of her hands in his as he spoke to her;

"You did nothing wrong, Grace. You were not to know that they would lie to you like they did. I never hurt Erik, and I do not intend to do anything with the Russians. I intend to make peace, love. You believe me, don't you?"

"Of course," nodded Grace.

"Good," Sebastian smiled, his thumb stroking the back of her hand. "You can help me, Gracie. You can help me stop this."

"How?" she wondered.

"Tell me what they're doing," Shaw persuaded her. "Tell me what is happening and I will make sure they can't find you again. I'll take you back to your apartment...back home...everything will be as it was."

Grace was so tempted by his words. Back to normal. That was what she wanted. It was what she had always wanted. She took a deep breath and Sebastian threw the final words to make her do as he asked.

"You can trust me, Gracie. I'm your dad. I promise to keep you safe."

...

A/N: Thanks to everyone reading and those who review! I hope you'll let me know what you think!


	12. Chapter 12

"Wait," Angel spoke as soon as she was sat next to Raven later on that night.

Erik and Charles had gone off somewhere with Moira. The other three mutants had been told to sit tight until they discovered the solution to the problem. Erik had been the one who had been fuming the most. He was well aware that Grace was his ticket to Shaw.

She was the one who he needed. She was the one who could help him. And then she had gone.

"So, Grace isn't a mutant?" Angel checked with Raven.

"Apparently not," she shrugged as Hank came back with three bottles of coke in his hands. He handed one to Raven and then one to Angel as the two girls continued their discussion.

"How does that even work?" Angel wondered from her. "I mean, I don't quite understand it."

"What don't you understand?" Hank wondered from her. "I mean, the girl has no mutant powers. Apparently her genes haven't mutated. I suppose there could still be a chance for them to mutate...obviously they tend to hit when puberty is upon us, or if something life threatening happens, or something stressful."

"I know that bit," Angel said, her voice solemn as she thought back to how her mutation had manifested. It wasn't a time in her life that she wanted to revisit. She doubted she ever would. She'd closed the door on all of that.

"I guess that the gene might not have mutated yet. It's a very complex thing," Hanks said, sensing that he was boring Raven and Angel with his talk of mutations.

"What I really wanted to know was...like...why is she even here?" Angel asked. "She's the daughter of the enemy, isn't she? Shouldn't she be with her dad?"

"She is now," Hank said, taking a swig from the coke bottle he had pressed to his lips. "Before, Charles took her in. He persuaded the CIA to keep her around. He said it wasn't safe to be with her father. I mean, he is a Nazi."

"What?" Angel wondered. "And what is he doing? I mean...what is he doing now?"

"He's doing his best to make a deal with the Russians," said Raven. "We don't exactly know why yet. I mean, we're trying to stop him, but we can't do it alone."

"But why do you think he wants to make a deal with the Russians? What does he gain from it?" Angel asked, doing her best to probe for answers.

Ravens shrugged, turning to look at Hank. Both of them exchanged confused glances before they heard the door slam open.

"And what do you think he is doing to her, Charles?" Erik's voice snapped as soon as he strode into the room. He turned to walk backwards, shrugging at the man who he had come to be known as a friend to him. He extended his arms and shrugged. "Do you think he's telling her that everything is alright? Do you think he won't find out from her what we're doing? That's why he waited so long to get her back. He wanted to know what we were planning."

"Grace wouldn't say anything to him-"

"-No, but he has the diamond woman with him," Erik said. "I've felt her power before. If she doesn't get the truth out of her then she's a stronger girl than I thought."

"There is nothing that I can do," Charles said. "Shaw would never hurt his own daughter. And even if he did find out what we were planning...well...what can he do?"

"I don't know," Erik said, "but it isn't anything good, is it?"

"Hey!"

The sudden voice of Moira snapped them all out of the conversation that they were having. She strolled into the room, her strides long and purposeful as she went. She stood next to Erik as she looked at the group.

"So, Stryker sent some agents to her apartment...as a long shot...he saw her walk into the building. She was with the red mutant and her father."

"What?" Erik's brow furrowed. "Did they go in after them?"

"No," Moira said in response. "They waited and saw them come out before moving. Only it was too late."

"And Grace?" Charles wondered. "Did they go to her?"

"They went, and here's the funny thing," Moira said, her gaze narrowed as she read the notes which had been made when she was on the phone to the agents. She was still struggling to believe what she was reading on the piece of paper.

"She opened the door and told them that she knew the truth. She knew that the CIA had been lying to her and her father was innocent. She's convinced that they're trying to set him up."

"What?" Erik snapped, looking over to Charles.

He was struggling to believe what he was hearing from the woman too. Charles folded his arms and held his chin in his hand, his fingers running across his pale cheek.

"What has he done to her?" Charles wondered. "She believed the truth when we told her it. How could he manage to talk his way out of this?"

"I don't know," Moira said with a shrug. "The agents left her there, but Stryker has asked them to keep an eye on her in case Shaw comes back."

"Something is amiss," Charles shook his head.

Erik scoffed. "Shaw lied to her again."

"No," Charles replied. "He couldn't have...I showed her what he did to you. She wouldn't believe him."

"She clearly did."

"He has a telepath," Charles suddenly remembered. "He has that woman...Emma...I think Grace called her Emma."

"Emma Frost," remembered Moira. "What about her?"

"Well, what if she has the same abilities as me? What if she is able to wipe memories from minds like I can?" Charles wondered. "Shaw would have been able to control his daughter then, wouldn't he?"

No one said anything for a moment as they contemplated Charles's words.

Raven was the one to stand up and speak to her brother;

"Then we need to help her," Raven said. "It isn't fair that he's controlled her, is it? She's a nice girl, Charles. She-"

"-She is no longer part of this division," Moira interrupted the blonde. "She is in California now. She is safe in her apartment and she has people watching her. Shaw won't hurt her, will he? Stryker refuses to spend time rushing to her if she insists on cohering with her father."

"But she isn't," Hank said. "She could still be useful to this, couldn't she? I mean...she could lure Shaw out."

"He's no fool," Erik interrupted. "He doesn't care about his daughter so long as she is on his side. We don't need her to defeat Shaw. She's safer in California."

"But he's lied to her...and who knows what he knows about us now," Raven interrupted. "She could have told him that we were amassing our own mutant army. What if he tries to stop us?"

"Then he can try," Erik replied. "She's hundreds of miles away and she has never proved herself useful."

"This is not fair," Raven said, looking at her brother. "You know that, Charles."

"I know it," Charles nodded, "but we have more pressing issues to worry about now, don't we?"

Raven looked to Moira before he told her where the next mutant he wanted to find was located. She smirked when he said the state. California. How convenient for him.

...

"I know what you're planning," Erik said to Charles once they stepped out of the bar.

Erik had to admit that he was sweltering in the Californian heat. They'd just been to see a man about joining them, but he had, rather impolitely, refused them.

"Coming here," Erik clarified. "You're going to go and find her. Why?"

"I need to know what has happened," Charles replied to Erik. "If the telepath has left her with her memory wiped then I need to understand that she is not a force to be reckoned with. Besides, I am sure that I am not the only one concerned about her. There is more than meets the eye."

"I was not concerned," Erik replied with a shake of his head. "Why would I be?"

"I've seen the way you protect her," Charles nodded. "I'll be the first to admit that it is sweet. I did spend some time wondering why you spent so much time around her."

"You should know why," Erik snarled, unable to look Charles in the eye for a moment. "She is a pawn in this game, Charles. You should know that. The girl holds no real interest for me. If Shaw tried to get to her then I could get to Shaw again."

Charles regarded Erik for a second; doing his best to read his friend's reaction behind the sunglasses which he wore. He shook his head and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He was positive that Erik was lying to him.

"And that was it?" Charles wondered.

"Yes," snapped Erik. "She is his daughter. How could I truly care for her? How-"

"-You said it yourself," Charles replied. "She is not him. She may be his blood, but she is nothing like him. I think that you do truly care for the girl. You're just scared of showing it."

"You're at liberty to think what you will," Erik assured Charles.

They spent the rest of their time in silence, sat in a cab as it finally dropped them off at the diner which Grace worked at. Charles pressed a finger to his temple, finally picking up the agents location in a car round the back. He slowly controlled both of their minds, causing them to go to sleep.

"I promised McCone that I wouldn't come here," shrugged Charles. "And now I apparently haven't."

"What are you going to do?" Erik wondered. "If it is true then she is going to run a mile as soon as she sees us."

"I'm hoping so," replied Charles, a smug look on his face.

He stepped into the diner, the music from the jukebox ringing out around him. Erik placed his sunglasses into the pocket of his leather jacket before he saw her walking around, two milkshakes in her hand.

She placed them on a table and smoothed out the pink uniform she wore before she noted Erik and Charles in the distance. She froze, her eyes widening as she remembered the last time she had seen them. She rushed through the diner, moving with haste until she made it to the kitchens.

"Everything okay, doll?" Bernie the chef asked her.

She nodded, pressing her body against the wall before peering through the serving hatch.

"It's all good, Bernie," she told him. "Just hiding from...well...you know..." she tried to think of a lie. "Some ex."

"Ah, don't sweat it, babe," he waved a hand as he continued to fry the sausages. "I had one come in last week. She saw me through the serving hatch though. Lucky escape."

"Yeah," laughed Grace, the sound hollow and nervous.

She remained stood where she was, closing her eyes as she waited for them to disappear. It was only when Bernie spoke again did she look to the door of the kitchen.

"Oi, you're not supposed to be in here. Customers aren't allowed."

Charles pressed his hand to his temple, speaking softly to the chef;

"Pretend you haven't seen us."

And then Bernie turned back around and did as he was told, frying the bacon whilst Grace shook her head, moving over to him and tugging on his arm to no prevail.

"Bernie!" she snapped. "Bernie, you idiot!"

"He can't hear us," Charles told her. "We're not here to hurt you, I promise, Grace."

"And how can I believe you?" she wondered. "All that you've done is lie to me. My father told me so himself. He told me that you twisted my mind."

She backed away as Erik moved on side of the kitchen and Charles the other, effectively cornering her from running away. Charles held his hand out, palm facing her as she scrambled behind her to find the nearest object to hit him them with.

"Stay back!" she yelled. "I'm warning you...just leave me alone...I don't want anything to do with this. I just want to go...and..."

"Grace, you deserve the truth-"

"-I have it," she interrupted. "My dad wouldn't lie to me. He never would. Why are you trying to do this to me?"

"We're not doing anything," Erik snarled, unable to stop thinking of how this was like she was when he first met her. She'd always been delusional. She held the knife in the air, watching as Erik cockily folded his arms and moved a hand, slicing it through the air. The knife followed his exact movement, landing in the chopping board as Bernie continued to stand at the serving hatch.

"Listen to me," Charles pleaded with her. "You need to listen to me, Grace."

She shook her head, the anger on her face evident as she remained stubborn about all that was happening.

"Your father knows a telepath, doesn't he?" Charles calmly explained to her. "Emma. Emma Frost."

Grace recalled her father calling someone Emma as he led her from the submarine. She kept quiet as Charles moved closer to her, Erik doing the same from the other side of the steel worktops.

"She's a telepath. You were with us at the CIA base. We were keeping you safe. There was Hank and Raven, my sister, you remember?"

Charles pressed his fingers to his temples, doing his best to get her to remember. He took one look inside the girl's mind and was automatically blocked. He backed away from her, shaking his head. Emma had done a good job. Charles's couldn't feed her the true memory, she wouldn't accept it.

Her powers went beyond anything he had seen before.

Charles cast a nervous glance over to Erik. The metal bender arched a brow and Charles shook his head. He supposed there was only way to get Grace to comply with him and his wishes.

"You need to believe me," Charles urged her. "We'll bring you back with us."

"No!" Grace snapped. "Why do you need me? I cannot offer you anything! I'm not a mutant you can recruit. I'm a human. Please...just stop this...leave me alone..."

"She's right," Erik informed Charles. "Why do we need her?"

"Grace," Charles spoke to her. "I'm not going to hurt you, but I need you to cooperate."

"What?" she wondered, her brow furrowed.

"Go to sleep," Charles ordered and the girl collapsed onto the floor.

Erik watched as she fell to the ground before he looked over to his telepath friend.

"What is this?" Erik asked. "Why are you so desperate to have her with us?"

"Mutations are brought on by puberty, and by stressful situations," Charles told Erik. "She is her father's daughter. I fear that she may be close to the edge of the stressful situation."

He bent down, grabbing Grace by the waist and hauling her to her feet, resting her against his body as he struggled to hold her.

"She's been through a lot," Charles said. "One more thing could see her over the cliff...and if it does...well...I don't want her in the hands of Shaw, do you? Can you imagine the power from both of them?"

Erik said nothing for a second, nodding once in agreement with what Charles was saying.

"This is all hypothetical," Erik warned him and Charles smirked, wondering how to carry the girl.

"Isn't everything," Charles shrugged.

Erik moved over to help the smaller man. He took hold of Grace's legs and bent down, tipping her over his shoulder with ease as his hands held her legs to keep her there.

"We'll go through the back door," Charles said. "Less conspicuous."

...

A/N: Thanks to anyone who is reading and I'd love it if you did review for me!


	13. Chapter 13

"And how do you suggest we smuggle her back?" Erik wondered as he adjusted the dead weight over his body. Grace was still sleeping over Erik's shoulder, her pink dress riding up her thighs as Charles did his best to cover her modesty.

"Would it be wrong to steal an agent's car?" Charles wondered. "Oh, of course it would be."

Much to Erik's surprise, the telepath purposefully strode forwards to the car where the CIA agents were sleeping. He opened the door and pulled them out; resting them against the wall of the diner he had just left. Erik took a second to look around, making sure that no one was watching them.

"I'll leave her in the back seat," Erik said as he opened the door and laid her down, making sure she was hidden from sight.

Nodding, Charles climbed into the driver's seat and began to ignition. He fully intended to return the car in a fine condition. Erik sat in the passenger seat before he looked across to Charles, fully intent on knowing what the telepath had spoken of earlier.

"How can she be a mutant?" wondered Erik.

"Well, you see, it is all to do with our genes. I do believe that Grace has the genes inside of her; I just do not think that they have accelerated yet. Clearly puberty didn't do the job, and the only thing left is stressful situations."

"And you didn't think to mention this before?" wondered Erik. "Does she have any idea about this?"

"I doubt it," Charles replied, turning left and keeping his eyes on the road ahead of him. Erik looked to the girl in the back again, shaking his head back and forth. "That is why I intended to keep her with us. Someone needs to keep an eye on her in case the gene does accelerate."

"I don't think she was in any stressful situation in that diner," replied Erik. "She seemed quite calm to me."

"What if someone attempted to mug her? What if someone tried to hurt her?" Charles quipped back. "It is a common occurrence on the streets."

"It hasn't happened thus far."

"Yes, but add that to the pressure of having a father in danger then what do you have?" Charles replied. "You have a very stressful situation, Erik. And who would she phone if anything happened? Her father, of course. That would be no good to any of us. It would be dangerous, Erik. She would work against us. Shaw's power is strong enough, never mind duplicating it."

"Would she have the same power as her father?" wondered Erik. The metal bender couldn't help but feel slightly dense as he asked Charles all of these questions. "Would she be as powerful as him?"

"I think she would have the same power, and yes, I think she would be powerful," Charles said. "Absorbing energy...Gods...Erik...he's indestructible."

"No one is indestructible," replied Erik, his brow furrowed as Charles followed the signs for the airport. He needed to get back to Virginia. But he needed Grace to believe him. He needed her to come back to their side, just in case she was a mutant.

"How can you be sure she is a mutant?" Erik finally spoke again.

"Examine her blood," Charles replied. "I'll ask Hank to do it for me."

"This is ridiculous," Erik scoffed. "Why did you not tell us this before? Why did you not tell her before?"

"We had bigger things to worry about," Charles informed Erik. "Besides, she is safer as a human. Shaw can't use her that way."

"You need to get her to believe you first. I doubt she will be easy to control. Are you sure you can't change her mind or undo what the other telepath did?"

"No," Charles replied. "She should wake up soon enough. I cannot make her sleep the entire time."

"Are you sure?" Erik muttered. "It would make the journey a lot easier."

"I know, my friend," Charles replied. "But I need to speak with her first. She deserves to know the truth...well...most of it, at least."

Erik kept quiet as Charles continued to drive through the streets, stopping for gas soon enough. Erik looked back as Charles spoke with the man who helped him to fill up the car. He looked back at Grace, his brows furrowing as he thought of everything she had been through. He wondered if he could get through to the girl. He'd managed to speak with her before. True, she had barely listened to him, but Erik had faith.

He saw her begin to stir as Charles wandered off to pay for the gas. Erik was tempted to shout for him to come back, but he kept quiet, waiting patiently instead.

Grace's eyes slowly opened and she looked around her, wondering where she was. Slowly, she pushed herself to sit up, her gaze widening as she did her best to keep calm.

"What did you do to me?" she snapped at Erik.

The metal bender groaned before he turned back to look at her. She sat on the edge of the seat, her cheeks red with anger and her gaze narrowed at him.

"Calm down," Erik urged her. "It will do you no good to be in this state."

"You're a liar!" Grace roared. "I don't want anything to do with you! Let me out now!"

Erik sensed she was about to cause a commotion as her hand hit him across the arm. He recoiled for a moment as she tried to pull at the door handle, urging for it to open. She groaned in frustration before she saw Erik move, his long and muscular limbs making the movement difficult. He climbed over the seat and slipped down to sit next to her, his hands wrapping around her upper arms.

"Get off of me!" she snarled as she felt him pull her back flush against his chest.

"Calm down," Erik snapped. "You stupid girl; we're doing this for you."

A bark of laughter escaped her as she heard him say that.

"My dad told me that you lied to me," she replied. "I believed you...I fell for your lies..."

Erik rolled his eyes and did the only thing that he could think to do. He pulled at the jacket he wore, slipping it from his body as Grace finally stopped her struggling and watched him, a moment of curiosity rising in her eyes. Erik rolled the sleeve to his jumper up his arm, turning his pale skin over to show her the numbers that reminded him who he was.

"Do you see these?" Erik snapped at her, his voice impatient. He waited for her to say something, but she remained quiet. "I was a boy when the Nazis imprisoned me in a concentration camp. I wasn't old enough to understand what was happening to me. To this day, I still don't understand. My mother was torn away from me. She was led to a different section. I remember standing there and crying for her to come back. She was the only family I had left."

Grace listened with intent, her vacant expression looking to Erik as he continued to stare at the numbers, the scars slowly revealing themselves back to him.

"I did something that no one thought possible. I stood there and moved my hands, urging to bring myself closer to my mother. The guards held me back. They kept me by their sides, but it wasn't enough. I dragged the gate and bent the metal. Everyone was in shock at what they saw. Everyone but your father."

Grace didn't dare to challenge him. His words haunted her, and some of them rang true. Her mind ached as she visually imagined a small boy being torn from his only member of family. But the vision seemed oddly accurate. It was like she had been shown it before.

"Your father took me to his office. He told me that he was there to help me...that he wanted to improve my powers..." Erik said; his voice hard and cold. "He brought my mother in and commanded me to move the coin. I tried...I did my best, of course I did. This was for my mother."

Erik dug around in his pocket and pulled a coin out, slowly showing it to Grace as he handed it to her. She took it from his fingers, examining it with great interest. Erik kept silent too, waiting for her to say something to his story. It was almost as if his words were bringing back some memories to her.

"My best wasn't good enough," Erik replied. "He shot her right in front of me. He killed her and took her from me."

Grace gulped, turning the coins in her hands before she dared to move her fingers to rest against the marks on his skin. Erik kept quiet as he watched her move. Her touch was cold against him and he did his best not to flinch from her.

"Why would I lie to you?" Erik wondered. "It would serve me no purpose."

"He...I...I think I remember," Grace whispered. "I don't know how...but...the office..."

"Charles showed you my memories," Erik told her. "He showed you what happened to me. That's why some of this makes sense to you."

"Then...why...why would he lie to me?" Grace wondered, her fingers still on Erik's skin.

The metal bender remained unsure of what to do. The girl was messed up. He supposed she was as messed up as he was. They both had Shaw to thank for that.

Moving his palm, he allowed his fingers to roam to her hair, pushing it behind her ear. He moved his palm to rest on her cheek, drawing her gaze back to him as he urged for her to believe him. He didn't know why he even cared. The girl was no loss to them. She was only a loss if Charles was right about her.

Grace could feel the warmth from Erik's hand as he leaned in closer to her and spoke lowly, his voice calm as he did so.

"He lied to you to keep you with him. You are his daughter, Grace. I can understand his motives for why he has done it," Erik said. "He is manipulating you. He is keeping you from the truth. It is unfair what he is doing to you, Grace. You know that he is lying. You have to know that now."

"You...well...I do remember," Grace said. "It hurts, but I can remember you and Charles...what I've seen..."

"Yes," Erik urged her. "I know that it hurts you to think of your father as a liar, but I promise you that everything will be fine. He won't lie to you again if you come with us."

Grace continued to stare at Erik and the numbers on his arm. She did remember. It hurt to do so, but she did. How could he make up such an intricate story? Why would he make up such an intricate story? Grace didn't know, and she didn't bother asking.

She had no other option but to believe Erik Lensherr.

Erik was about to say something else but Grace suddenly collapsed on top of him, her eyes closing and Erik looked to the front door as Charles climbed in and turned to look back at him.

"I didn't know what to do," Charles said. "I could see the tender moment between you two. I didn't want to interrupt."

"So you sent her to sleep?" Erik checked, adjusting Grace to rest against his side. "She believes me anyway."

"I saw," Charles said. "You told her what happened. You've never told anyone what happened."

"No need to get sentimental," Erik warned him. "I did what needed to be done. Sedating her to get her on the plane seemed extreme."

Charles chuckled and started the car up, his brow arched as he peered to the sight in the back seat. Erik had draped his arm over the back of the seat as Grace's head rested against his shoulder.

"And you say you don't care for the girl," Charles teased him.

"Don't," warned Erik.

"No," Charles shook his head. "I shall not say anything."

Erik rolled his eyes and looked back down to Grace, his fingers moving a strand of hair from her face before he sighed and closed his eyes. He had never had any idea how difficult it would be to be around Grace Shaw. Only he often didn't find it difficult. He found it rather calming.

That was the part that worried him.


	14. Chapter 14

"Your mind hurts because you are doing your best to remember your true memories," Charles informed Grace as they sat in the departure lounge of the airport. She sat on a metal mesh chair with Erik to one side of her and Charles to the other side of her.

She was sat on the edge of her seat, looking at Charles whilst Erik reclined in his seat. The metal bender held a newspaper to his eyes, scanning through the daily events as he waited to be called to the plane. He occasionally allowed his eyes to shift to look at Grace, wondering what she was thinking as he did so.

"Everything seems so blurry," Grace complained to Charles. "I can remember parts of what you told me. I can remember...I think...is it Division X?"

"Yes," Charles said; a small smile on his face as he heard the girl. "You're rather impressive, Grace. Not many people can push past mind control."

"Perhaps Emma wasn't that good in the first place," Grace replied with a small shrug.

Shaking his head, Charles looked over her shoulder to glance at Erik. He knew that it had been his story that had made her remember. The sheer emotion had pushed through and won in the end. Erik had been the one to help her.

"No," Charles said. "I think there is more to it than that."

"What?" Grace wondered and Charles stood up, offering her his hand. She took a moment before she held onto it. She allowed Charles to wrap her arm through his. He inclined his head to Erik before he led Grace through the terminal, slowly walking alongside the panes of glass.

"Erik's story seemed to stir something inside of you," Charles informed her. "It is a powerful tale, I cannot deny that. I do not know why it helped, but it did. You listened and he spoke truthfully. He managed to push through your father's lies, but you were willing to believe him."

"It is difficult not to when you see the marks on his skin," Grace replied in a small voice. "Erik is a kind man. He is full of rage and hatred; not that I can blame him."

"Erik is certainly a different kind of man," Charles nodded bluntly. "I do not know what it is he feels for you, but he opened up to you. That is not something that Erik has done to anyone. Erik does not talk of his feelings or the past. Yet you...I do not know..."

"Perhaps he knew it was the only way for me to remember the truth?" Grace suggested. "Although, I do not know why you need the truth from me. I bring nothing to help you."

"You deserve the truth," Charles assured her with a small nod. He didn't want to tell her about his theory just yet. He had plenty of time for that to happen. "Anyway, you are safe now. I doubt your father will attempt anything again. He sees that he cannot manipulate you to do his bidding."

"Will the pain of it ever stop?" Grace suddenly wondered. "I look at Erik and I feel for him. I truly do."

"Erik does not hold you responsible for your father's actions," Charles assured her. "I believe he finds you a fascinating young woman ."

Grace allowed a short laugh to escape as she looked down to see the clothes she wore. Shaking her head at him, she pulled at the skirt to her pink dress.

"I'm a waitress with a psychotic father," she reminded Charles. "I doubt anyone would find that fascinating."

Charles allowed Grace to move off from his hold. She slowly sauntered over to look at the board above, informing them of what time flights were coming and leaving. Charles sighed and watched her, wondering how long it would be before Shaw made his first move. He could only hope that it would be a while. He still had a lot of work and persuasion to do.

Grace kept quiet as they queued to board the plane. She walked slowly by Charles's side; Erik loitering behind them as they went. She took her seat next to the metal bender as Charles sat a few rows away from them.

"You've been quiet for the journey," Grace suddenly commented as she fastened her seat belt and looked out of the window of the plane.

Erik turned his gaze to her as he placed his hands on the armrests and laced his fingers together. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, willing for some sleep to come and find him.

"I didn't realise I had to speak," Erik replied, not too sure how he should take Grace. He didn't want to say the wrong thing, but he didn't want to bring up his past again. He'd told her once. Once was enough. Erik considered it to be more than enough.

"It is a few hours to Virginia," Grace reminded him.

"Plenty of time for sleep then," Erik informed her.

Shrugging, she looked out the window for a moment, biting down on her lip as she vaguely remembered an argument she'd had with Erik over driving. She turned her eyes back to him and he finally looked at her.

"I feel as though I should apologise," she told him, "but I have a feeling you'd tell me not to bother."

Erik's lips rose slightly as he heard her speak. He watched her nervously tuck her hair behind her ear before he felt the plane jolt forwards. Grace startled for a moment and turned to look out the window, watching as the plane was slowly taxied to the runway.

"You don't need to apologise anymore," Erik said to her. "Like I've said before; you're not Schmidt."

"I guess not," Grace said, evidentially distracted by the movement of the plane.

That was when she moved her hand to the armrest, needing something to grip onto. Her fingers came into contact with Erik's hand and the metal bender stiffened. She was clearly too distracted to notice that she had hit his hand.

"I didn't know you were a nervous flyer," Erik informed her, his thumb slowly brushing against her skin in a feeble attempt to soothe her. "You seemed fine on the way to Argentina."

"I had more things to worry about then," Grace said. "Some psychopathic mutant had just kidnapped me. You were too busy back then anyway."

Her eyes remained fixed on the window and Erik wondered why she would torment herself further. He took another moment before he spoke after gulping loudly.

"And on the way to Virginia last time?"

"I don't remember that time," Grace whispered to him.

"Then why do you insist on looking out the window?" wondered Erik as he kept quiet for a few moments. "Surely it makes you more nervous."

"It makes me more nervous not to look," Grace admitted. "I don't know why...I...the last time I flew there was this brunette...she...I think she held my hand. I can't remember."

"Was she called Raven?" wondered Erik.

"Sounds familiar," Grace admitted and she finally felt Erik's thumb brushing against her skin. She looked down and Erik ceased to soothe her. He kept his hand underneath hers and she made no effort to move her hand. She didn't know why. She doubted he needed to babysit her on a simple flight.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean...well...you know..." she blabbered.

Rolling his eyes, Erik moved his hand and slowly moved his fingers around hers. The last thing he needed was a nervous flyer with him. It would do him no good, and it would simply end up annoying him. He could see a small blush fill Grace's cheeks as she turned to look back out of the window, doing her best to hide the redness.

The plane finally moved into the air and Grace loosened up slightly, only gripping Erik's hand when the plane jolted around slightly.

"You do know that I control metal, don't you?" Erik checked with Grace, his voice low and soft. "Nothing will happen."

"That still doesn't make it any easier," Grace replied in a mutter. "That means that something has to happen."

"Worth a shot," Erik replied. "Nothing is dangerous. Planes are statistically safer than any other mode of transport."

"That may be true," Grace agreed as the plane began to level out. "However, I do feel a lot safer on the ground and driving. Although I haven't drove in a while."

"Well, I assume you'll be safe now," Erik replied.

Grace peeled her hand from Erik's and nodded softly. "I'm going to go and use the bathroom." She informed him. Erik moved from his seat and allowed her to pass by and move down the plane. He remained sat where he was, watching as a tall man followed her to the small queue for the lavatory.

"How are you faring?"

Erik jumped as he heard Charles speak to him. The telepath bent down by his seat and looked down the corridor to where Grace stood.

"Better than her," Erik commented. "I didn't know she was a nervous flyer. You could have sat with her if that was the case."

"I think you had it covered. Holding her hand was very pleasant," Charles admitted to his friend.

"How did you know that?" Erik complained; his brow arched as he saw Grace speak to the man who stood behind her. He was leaning down and whispering in her ear.

"I'm not blind," Charles said, his attention then fully turning back to Grace as she rested her back against the wall and waited for the bathroom to become free then. The man was still leering over her. "Do you think she's in trouble?"

"She can handle herself," Erik replied.

"Yes, but he doesn't look friendly, does he?" Charles said. "Not a pleasant chap at all."

They watched as Grace snuck into the bathroom and the man dropped his hands to his hips, a look of exasperation on his face as he waited patiently for Grace to come back out. She finally exited and the man took hold of her wrist and whispered something to her again.

"Okay, this is not right," Charles said as Grace finally snatched her wrist from the man. The two men remained seated before their eyes widened as they saw the man slap Grace's backside. The waitress jumped back as he headed into the bathroom and she glowered for a moment.

"Did you see that guy?" Grace snarled as soon as she stood by Charles and Erik. "Genuinely, I've never met such a creep before!"

"Yes," Charles agreed. "What did he want?"

"What do you think he wanted?" Erik replied, knowing full well that Charles could be dense sometimes. "A man and a woman in a bathroom. Do I need to spell it out, Charles?"

"Not at all," Charles shook his head. "Are you alright, Grace?"

"Fine," Grace said, turning to look behind her to check that he wasn't moving back down the aisle. "What a creep."

"I suspect that the pink uniform didn't help your cause," Charles informed her and Erik shrugged out of his leather jacket and handed it to her. Grace took it from his hands and slowly slid her arms into it. She allowed the material to bury her as Erik stood up and placed his hand on the small of her back to move her to her seat.

"You should go back to your seat, Charles," Erik said. "You're blocking the aisle."

"Yes," Charles said. "I shall be back later."

Charles left the pair of them alone before Erik saw the bathroom door open. He narrowed his gaze and slowly moved his hand out and flicked his wrist. He watched as the bathroom door flung back in the man's face and pushed him back into the lavatory.

"Did you do that?" Grace checked with Erik as she heard a scream and people looked to the bathroom. He came stumbling out, his hand holding his blooded nose as an air hostess fussed around him.

"Not at all," Erik smirked as Grace leant across his body to look down the aisle at the sight she saw. A small laugh escaped her as she rested a hand against his kneecap. Erik watched as her hair fell down her face and she stifled a laugh before leaning back in her seat.

Erik looked back to her as she placed a hand over her mouth and laughed at what she had just seen. "I cannot believe you did that."

"Well, there are some perks to being different," Erik mumbled and Grace leant further back in her seat. She pulled his leather jacket tightly around her body and rolled her head to the side before smiling gently to Erik.

She said nothing to him and he said nothing to her, not too sure what he should say. He kept quiet and watched as she closed her eyes and tried to sleep on the flight.

...

Emma didn't know what to tell Sebastian. She knew that his plan was coming together now that he thought he had his daughter hidden away in California. But now the mutants had gone to find her again. And Emma didn't know why. She had no idea why they had done it. She just knew that she didn't want to be the one to tell Sebastian.

She supposed she didn't really have a choice at the end of the day. It was up to her to be the bearer of bad news.

"My dear," Sebastian spoke when he saw her walking towards him, a glass of scotch in her hands.

"We need to talk," she informed him. "Your daughter has gone back with the telepath."

Sebastian allowed his eyes to widen as he heard the news come to him. He ground his teeth together and snatched the scotch from her hands, draining it all in one.

"I thought you'd kept her mind secure," Sebastian drawled out to her. "I told you to do this one thing."

"And I don't know how they undid it," Emma said. "She's currently sat on a plane with Erik. He's...well...she doesn't seem to mind his company. I think her memories came back to her. My powers aren't flawless, especially when there is another telepath working against me."

"It doesn't matter," Sebastian said. "If they're planning on recruiting more mutants then I will make my move then. I will make my move and bring her back then; regardless of whether she wants to come or not."

...

A/N: Not much action, but some bonding time! Anyway, thanks to musicluver246, I'llAlwaysBeInEdwardsColdArms and RosePhin for reviewing. Thanks to anyone following and I do hope you'll let me know what you think so far!


	15. Chapter 15

"You have no idea how worried we've been about you!"

Grace looked up as she heard a squeal enter her ears. She moved her eyes from the large building called Division X and back to the girl who had rushed towards her. Grace had no other option but to hold her arms open and allow the blonde to hug her.

"Raven," Charles spoke to his sister, his voice urging her to be gentle with the returning Shaw.

Raven pulled back and nodded to Charles before looking at Grace's face. Grace did her best to remember where she had seen that familiar face from. She finally clicked and remembered the Raven was a fellow waitress. It had been how they had bonded.

"Raven," Grace drawled out. "You're Charles's sister?"

"Yes," Raven said with a small smile, grateful that she had been able to recall her. Grace was doing her best to remember the faces that surrounded her. She could see the agent in black with ease, along with the woman who had introduced herself as Moira MacTaggert. Grace vaguely recalled Hank.

Yet there were some who she could not place.

"These are the new recruits, Grace," Charles informed the woman.

She could feel that they were looking at her with apprehension. Not that she could blame them. She was the daughter of the enemy. She suspected that she wasn't to be trusted. Only time could make that come to them. Grace hoped it would.

"This is Angel," Charles drawled, motion to a petite woman as she gave out a small wave. "And this is Alex, and then this is Darwin."

"Nice to meet you all," Grace nodded before Charles checked his watch, knowing full well that he and Erik were raring to go. They had one more mutant to find before they could begin their work. And Charles knew where that mutant was right then.

"Raven will take care of you for now," Charles informed her, his hand on her upper arm as she looked up to him. "Myself and Erik still have some work to do."

"Oh, of course," Raven agreed, moving forward with haste to link her arm with Grace's. "We were just going to go and order some pizza...and...well...they're may be some clothes that you can wear."

Looking down, Grace noted that she was still wearing her pink uniform. Embarrassingly, she shrugged out of Erik's jacket and watched as the metal bender's brow furrowed and he watched her back. She handed it to him as Charles began to speak to the rest of the mutants in hushed tones, doing his best to tell them what was going to happen.

"Keep it," Erik told her.

"You'll get cold," Grace responded. "Besides, Raven has some clothes for me."

"And they might not involve jackets," Erik responded, shaking his head. "I don't need it, Grace. Just keep it and stay warm."

"Thanks," Grace replied, deciding that it would be best not to argue with Erik. She pushed her arms back into the material and pulled it tightly around her body. Erik watched her as she tucked her hair behind her ears and looked back to him. It seemed that both of them struggled to speak with each other.

Not that Grace minded too much. She never really knew what to say to Erik.

"Don't mention it," Erik responded and she felt Raven tug on her arm again, demanding her full attention.

Erik couldn't help but smirk at the sight of seeing her face drop as the woman continued to pull on her arm. Grace gave Erik one small smile and then allowed Raven to have her way. Erik watched as the young woman was dragged away and he felt a cold breeze around his neck.

"You should have taken the jacket," Charles teased him.

Rolling his eyes, Erik followed his friend before he whispered to himself;

"It looks better on her than it does on me."

...

Hank was nervously sweating as he asked the girl the question. Charles had asked for Hank to do him a favour whilst Erik had been speaking to Grace. Hank had obviously agreed, not truly knowing what he was getting himself into. It was only then when Charles had asked Hank to take some of Grace's blood to see if she was a mutant.

He had taken some of Raven's blood. He had felt positively nervous about that. His attraction to Raven didn't stem too deep at that moment in time. He knew that she was pretty and beautiful. She was everything that would dislike him. Yet she seemed to enjoy being with him. Hank couldn't help but count himself lucky on that front.

"Hey...Grace...are you busy?" Hank wondered from her.

She was sat next to Raven on the sofa as the other mutants looked around the recreation room, doing their best not to look too impressed at the luxuries inside of it. Raven's face scrunched up as she heard Hank speak to her. She wondered what Hank could possibly want with Grace.

"What is it?" Raven was the one to ask.

She could only hope that Hank wasn't going off of her. She doubted he was. She was normally very good at reading the signs that men emitted. Yet she did find it strange that he was requesting Grace's presence.

"It's something to do with...well...it would be best to talk in private..."

"Fine," Grace agreed.

"Can I come?" Raven wondered as Grace stood up and next to Hank.

The boy wonder looked back to Raven and shook his head. "It's just something that your brother asked me to do. Grace can explain it later."

"Do you know how suspicious this is?" Raven wondered from him.

"It is quite suspicious," Grace piped up. "I'm sure it isn't that top secret. Besides, I don't mind Raven knowing if you know."

Raven gave a triumphant smile. "See?" she smirked at Hank.

He shook his head and led the two women from the room, slowly wandering down the corridors until he came to his lab. He opened the door, feeling a little more relaxed in his own environment as Raven closed the door behind her.

Grace looked around the vast space, folding her arms over her stomach as she tapped her heel against the tiled floor.

"So, what's up?" she wondered.

"I need to take some of your blood," Hank blurted out, his voice low as he did so.

"Why?" Grace wondered, puzzlement coming over her face. Raven's eyes widened as she did her best to comprehend what Hank was asking from the girl. She had a vague idea of why Hank would want her blood.

"We...well...Charles thinks that you could be a mutant," Hank responded. "He thinks that your cells have yet to develop in your life. He wants me to check that it could be possible."

Grace could feel her blood run cold as the information soaked inside of her. She didn't think that she could be a mutant. She didn't want to particularly be a mutant. She had often wondered why she wasn't like her father. It was only then when she thanked God that she wasn't. She wanted to be nothing like him.

The thought that she could have inherited his gift made her feel queasy.

"Grace?" Raven spoke her name, snapping her from her daze. "Are you okay?"

"Me?" Grace said, still bewildered. "Yeah, I'm fine...just thinking..."

"It could all be false," Hank informed her. "We just think that it would be for the best to make sure."

"Fine," Grace said. Hank and Charles weren't the only ones who wanted to know. She rolled the sleeve to her loaned black jumper up and followed Hank to the steel workbench. He took a seat on a stool and she sat on the one next door.

Raven stood on the other side of the bench, watching with interest as Hank cleaned the area of skin and then pricked it with a needle, drawing her blood from her.

Grace remained sat where she was, her eyes staying closed as she longed for Hank to hurry up and put her out of her misery.

...

"She's been quiet all day," Charles informed Erik after he had spoken to Raven.

The two of them stood by the large glass window, looking into the courtyard as Grace sat by the statue, her legs outstretched in front of her and her head resting against the concrete stand the statue sat on.

"Raven said she ran as soon as she found out," Charles replied. "I can only assume she is worried that her cells will enhance now."

"Why would she be worried?" Hank piped up from behind them.

Charles turned around to look back at him, but Erik remained staring at the young woman.

"She doesn't want to turn out like Shaw. She has his powers...his name...she is part him. I can only assume she sees herself as a future burden."

Erik swept from the room then, ignoring Charles and everyone else. He allowed the door to slam behind him as he made his way to the courtyard, knowing full well that he had to talk to Grace. He seemed to be the only one she listened to. He knew that it would have been easier to have left her in California. It would have made sense.

"I heard about today," Erik said as he slowly slid down to sit next to Grace on the floor. She was huddled in his leather jacket, her body cold as she turned her head to the side to look at him. Erik felt his jaw tighten as he saw her red rimmed eyes and scarlet coloured cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" Erik wondered.

Grace knew that she looked pathetic. She was sat next to a man who had been through the horrors of the war. What did she know about fear? Nothing. She was being irrational and over emotional. Yet Erik didn't seem to become angry with her.

"I'm scared," she whispered to him. "What if I end up like him? What if-"

"-No what ifs," Erik interjected. "You are not him. I've told you multiple times before. Just because you have his power...his harsh eyes...that does not mean that you are him."

"His power," Grace responded. "His power has killed people. His power has been used for evil. Is it any wonder I'm so worried."

"He was the one to decide to use it for those purposes," Erik informed her. "You don't have to. You don't even have the powers yet. They're only brought on my puberty or traumatic experiences, Grace."

"I think I've moved on from puberty," Grace muttered and Erik smirked.

"I think you might have," Erik said. "And you've been in some fairly stressful situations recently, but nothing has happened. Probably nothing will happen...and if it does...well...you know that we will be there for you, Grace. We won't let Shaw take you and turn you into him."

"I know," Grace replied in a whisper.

Erik watched as Grace moved her hand to rest on his arm, holding it lightly. The metal bender felt something rise in his chest as she touched him. He kept quiet and moved his other hand to rest on top of hers. She said nothing for a moment and then took a deep breath, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I'm sorry," she spoke to him. "I know that I must look like an absolute mess. Besides, nothing has happened, has it? I'll be fine...everything will be fine..."

"It will be," nodded Erik. "You should come inside. It is getting cold out of here. I think you've dwelled on the news for long enough now."

"Perhaps you're right," he nodded at her.

Erik stood up and offered her his hand. She took it, his touch ice cold against her clammy skin. Erik took some of her weight, hauling her from the ground. She didn't remove her hand from his. She kept her fingers inside of his and he steadied her with a hand on her waist.

She smiled up to him then, doing her best not to look like a fool and fall over in front of him. Erik smirked and felt his hand move up and brush her fallen hair from her face. He didn't know what possessed him to make the motion. Grace felt her breathing hitch as he made the tender motion. She felt her eyes flutter shut and her lips part.

It was only then when she moved slightly and hesitantly rested her lips against Erik's cheek. Erik could feel his blood warm then. He didn't know why, and he wasn't sure how to stop it. She slowly pulled back, only for Erik to move his hand to the back of her neck, stopping her from moving any further away from him. She jolted suddenly, wondering what he was thinking and whether it was the same thing as she was thinking.

Erik had always been quiet. He'd never truly spoken the truth or what he thought to her.

Slowly but surely, Erik moved his head down, his warm breath soon tickling her cheek before his lips found hers. Grace wasn't quite sure what to do at first. She had kissed men before. Of course she had. But never before had she kissed one like Erik. Slowly, she moved her lips against his as her hands found the back of his neck.

He continued to kiss her, constantly varying from light pecks to firm kisses as he closed his eyes and stopped thinking for a while.

It was only when he opened his eyes did he think. He kept his lips still against Grace's, waiting for the young woman to move back from him.

Grace took a second to think about what had just happened and she closed her eyes, slowly losing the warmth of Erik's hold.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I...if he finds out..."

Her worry caused Erik's brow to furrow as she pressed her hand to her mouth, her head shaking back and forth as she did so.

"I never meant for that to happen," she whispered.

"Neither did I," Erik said.

Why had he done it? She was not his friend. She was not someone who he should trifle with. Erik couldn't comprehend it. He should never have kissed her. He should never have tried to comfort her. She was Shaw's daughter. He couldn't help but think how wrong it was. Yes, he had told her that she was not her father, but she most certainly was his daughter.

Erik turned on his heel and walked away, his hands clenched into fists by his sides. He fully expected for her to call after him, but the shout never came.

...

A/N: So I have a lot of followers but not a lot of reviewers. I do hope you will let me know what you think so far, pretty please!


	16. Chapter 16

"I do not want to see her."

Erik's snarl entered Charles's ears as the two men sat together on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Erik held a chess piece in his hands whilst the other mutants wandered through the area. They had been allowed free reign for a day and so had chosen to visit Washington DC. Sean and Alex were getting along splendidly, both of them trying to outdo each other in anything.

Angel was walking slowly with Darwin and Hank lingered behind, his gaze constantly moving to Raven as she sat on the grass by Grace near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Erik had said nothing to Grace during the ride, choosing to keep quiet and not mention anything that had happened the previous night. Grace had looked at him, her mouth hanging open and a coherent sentence about to leave her mouth before she saw his distant look. She thought better about it, closing her jaw and turning her eyes to look out of the window.

"It was a mistake, Charles." Erik spoke again as the sun beat down over them. "She is hardly ugly, is she? Besides, she seemed just as willing."

"I do not doubt it," Charles replied with a small frown. "I do not think that helps your situation, Erik."

"I don't think anything really helps my situation," Erik said. "She is his daughter. She is the last person who I want to be with. She is the last person I want to have feelings for."

"Do you have feelings for her?" Charles wondered; his tone light as he moved another chess piece and waited for Erik to reply. "You've told her things that you've never told anyone else before. You have always been one of the first to comfort her or talk with her."

"No."

"I think you are denying your true feelings, my friend," Charles admitted with a small scoff.

Erik peered through his sunglasses to look out to where Grace sat with Raven. The girl had her legs bent up to her chin, resting her stubborn jaw on her kneecaps as she stared at the pool and Raven talked to her.

"It is better to deny them than to let them run their course," Erik said. "Especially considering that I intend to kill her father. She won't want anything to do with me then. I'm trying to save her feelings."

"Have you ever considered her feelings?" Charles asked as Erik advanced forwards with his pawn. "Perhaps she feels the same way as you? Killing Shaw will not make you feel better about any of this. Surely it would be better to see him rot in a jail cell? Grace would understand that."

"I do not care about what Grace understands," Erik said. "Shaw shot my mother in front of me. I refuse to let him get away with that, Charles. Grace knows my intentions."

"There is so much good inside of you, Erik," Charles shook his head sadly. "There is so much potential for you to be happy. She will never accept you if you kill her father. Yes, she knows what he has done...but...well...he is her father."

"Grace is a big girl. She knows that her father is a monster, Charles. I will not be swayed on the matter. You can try to persuade me, but it will not work."

Shaking his head, Charles knew that he would have to save the conversation for another time. He would just have to keep his eye on Erik for the time being.

"At least talk to her?" Charles suggested. "She could be feeling the same way as you are. Torn inside. You could be happy with her, Erik. You could allow for it to happen."

Erik chuckled, the sound dark and foreign to Charles's ears. The telepath watched Erik with wonder as the metal bender turned his gaze to Grace on the lawn.

"Do you think there is even a possibility of me being with her?" Erik asked. "She resembles him too much."

"Yet you tell her that she is not him."

"Not in personality," agreed Erik. "But she looks like him...she has his eyes..."

"You're an odd one," Charles admitted to Erik with a shake of his head. "One moment you can't keep your hands off of her and the next you stand here and tell me that you can barely stand the sight of her. You're hypocritical, Erik. You're finding excuses to stay away from her, when all you want to do is be near her."

Keeping silent, Erik looked back to Charles, pulling his sunglasses from his eyes.

"You're most annoying, do you know that?" Erik checked with him.

A slim smile formed on Charles's face as he made the next move. "Only because I'm right."

...

"So what? You're going to sit here and brood all day?" Raven checked as she leaned forwards to stare at Grace.

The blonde had her legs extended in front of her as she sat up straight and spoke to Grace. Well...spoke _at _Grace. The other girl was hardly saying anything to her. It seemed that she was in a daze of her own. Raven had been the one to tell her that she was being foolish.

Yet it seemed that Grace didn't want to know.

She remained silent, watching on as Raven arched her brow and looked at her expectantly.

"We all saw the two of you last night," shrugged Raven. "We've all been waiting for it to happen, too. Erik is always hovering around you. It's no wonder the two of you couldn't stop playing tonsil tennis for a good few minutes.

"Raven!" Grace snapped and the fellow mutant shrugged nonchalantly. "We were hardly kissing for that long."

"But was he a good kisser?" Raven wondered and Grace couldn't help but laugh, a hand running through her hair and pushing it from her face. She looked at Raven and the blonde laughed once. She placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"The best I've had," Grace whispered her admittance.

Was that why it had been so hard for her to watch Erik walk away from her? Was it because he was attractive and one of the kindest men she had met? Or was it more than that? Did she truly feel something more for Erik?

"Damn," Raven mumbled. "I even looked expectantly at Hank when he was watching you two. It did seem that he was more interested in that than me."

"I am sure he is interested. He just doesn't know how to show it," Grace responded softly, longing for the topic to be changed.

"Anyway, that's probably a discussion for another day," Raven told Grace. "It looks like we have company."

Grace looked away from the pool and to her left, watching as Erik slowly walked towards them. He had his hands in his leather jacket and his sunglasses sat on his face as he looked anywhere but at the two girls he needed to speak with.

"Dear God," Grace complained.

"You need to talk to him," Raven nudged her in the shoulder and both of them moved to stand up.

"Not today," Grace complained and she stuck by Raven's side as they began to walk down the side of the pool, coming closer to Erik. Grace kept her eyes on the water as they passed by his side and Raven rolled her eyes, wondering if either one of them had the courage to say anything to each other.

Erik stopped after a moment and turned around to look back at the two of them.

"Grace," his voice called out, the noise hard and demanding. "I need to talk to you."

"Go. Now," Raven demanded her, pushing the girl back.

Grace turned around to see Erik looking at her. He had his sunglasses in his pockets and his eyes were wide as he waited for her to say something. He saw Raven pushed her in the small of her back, urging her forwards again. Grace slowly moved to stand back in front of Erik, wondering what he wanted from her.

"Yeah?" she wondered nonchalantly, chewing on the gum that sat inside of her mouth.

"We need to talk."

"Do we?" Grace wondered. "I don't think we necessarily do."

"Yes, we do," Erik said. "Unless last night meant nothing to you."

"Did it mean nothing to you?" Grace wondered, chewing on her gum helping to keep her calm.

"I don't know," Erik honestly admitted.

He hated the fact that Charles had made him speak to her. He hated the fact that he didn't know what it was that he should be saying to her. It all seemed to be an awkward scenario for him. Erik kept quiet for a few more moments before he dared to offer her his hand. Grace looked at it for a moment and wrinkled her nose.

"It is a hand, Grace," Erik spoke. "You don't need to look at it with disgust."

"I'm not," Grace said, placing her hand inside of his to prove her point. She walked by Erik's side as they ambled by the poolside.

Erik sighed as he felt her hand around his. He couldn't deny that it did feel nice. It felt more than nice, if he had to be honest.

"You know that we can't allow that kiss to happen again, don't you?" Erik checked with her in a small voice. "It was a mistake."

"I know," Grace replied. "Besides, I'm his daughter and you want to kill him. I don't think we'd make a very good couple at all."

"That's exactly what I told Charles," mumbled Erik. "You're a...well...I don't know what to say, Grace. I just know that we both made a mistake last nice, not that it wasn't a pleasant mistake."

"I know," Grace replied, closing her eyes and wondering if she should bite the bullet and tell him what she was thinking. She doubted he cared too much. "Erik, you've been really kind to me throughout this. You've been nicer to me than you should have been."

"No, I haven't," Erik denied to her, standing still and looking down at her. "I keep telling you that you're not him. You're nothing like him whatsoever. I know what he is like, and I know that you should not feel guilty for simply being related to him. I know that it is unfortunate for you."

"Do you?" whispered Grace. "I don't know what to feel in the slightest about this."

"How about we keep our distance?" Erik wondered from her, standing in front of her and moving his hand to rest on her neck, doing the opposite of what he had just proposed. He couldn't help it. There was something about her.

Grace slowly chewed her gum and Erik ground his teeth at seeing her.

"Can you stop that when I'm trying to talk to you?"

"I can't help it," she protested. "It helps me cope with nerves."

"Well it's annoying," Erik told her, holding his hand out expectantly. Grace dropped the gum onto his palm and he threw it to the side and she watched him, her gaze wide.

"You should have found a bin," she protested to him.

"Grace," Erik drew her attention back to him, his hand on her cheek as he forced her to look at him. "Do we have an understanding? We keep our distance?"

"Is that what you want?" she wondered, looking to the floor and hoping that he would say no. "You don't want to be with me too much?"

"I don't know what I really want," Erik informed her. "I just know that you're going to get hurt if we grow close. You're going to be hurt when I get to your father."

"Then it's for the best, isn't it?" Grace replied, her tone deflated as Erik tucked her hair behind her ear and forced himself to smile slowly at her. He bent down to peck her on the cheek, the motion causing her pulse to race as he kept hold of her hand.

"But you should know that I won't let you kill him without a fight," Grace suddenly whispered to Erik, her tone harsh as she spoke in his ear.

Erik pulled back and kept his hand around her wrist as he looked into her eye and saw the determination which sat there. She continued to stare at him with wide eyes.

"He's my dad," she said. "I know what he has done...but...to watch you kill him...to watch you become as bad as he is." She shook her head as she took a deep breath. "I won't let you do it. He will be punished for what he has done, but killing him... that is not the answer."

"He killed my mother," Erik said. "Or have you forgotten that?"

"No," Grace responded numbly. "I cannot forget. But he will serve his time. It is much more rewarding and I will not stop that from happening."

Erik dropped her wrist and a small smirk played on his face for a brief moment.

"I will kill him," he promised her. "You won't stop me."

"I will give it a go," she assured him. "You're better than he is, Erik. Prove it."

"I don't need to prove it," Erik snarled and turned on his heel, walking away from her as she remained stood on the spot, her arms folded and her gaze on him. She knew that she had to stop him.

...

A/N: So thank you to my only reviewers for the previous chapter, DamonSalvatorelover and kakashifan1792 for reviewing the previous chapter. I do hope you will all let me know what you think! It would be really nice!


	17. Chapter 17

"Charles is insufferable," Grace complained as she and Erik sat in a car on the way back to base. Charles had made the other mutants take the remaining two cars in order to give Erik and Grace some time together.

He had heard their argument by the pond and knew that Grace was right. Erik was the better man, but he was so hell bent on revenge that he couldn't see it. Charles didn't want Erik to fall into an abyss of revenge. He didn't want to see him suffer because of it.

"Charles knows that we need to come to an understanding," Erik responded.

He had been relegated to the passenger seat again, Grace insisting that it would be better for her to drive considering she had a licence. Erik didn't argue with her. He didn't want to spend any more time with her and so arguing would not have been in his best interest.

"How?" Grace replied. "You're determined to have your revenge, and I'm determined to see my dad punished for what he has done...but...not by killing him."

"We're not going to agree on this," Erik responded. "Why don't we just drive in silence and be mature? Unless you really cannot help but yell?"

"Me?" Grace replied. "You're the one who is insufferable, Erik. Would your mother have wanted you to spend all of these years-"

"-Do not talk about my mother," Erik snarled back to her, his hands clenching up as he felt the need to destroy someone. "You have no right to talk about her. I am doing this for her. I am doing this because he took away the only family I had."

"And he is the only family I have," Grace replied. "I know that it hurts, Erik. My dad has lied to me. He is as good as gone from my life. Do you think that I don't know how it feels to be alone? To have no one to rely on?"

"You didn't suffer like I did," Erik replied and Grace took the next turn to the left. "Do not pretend to understand."

"I know that I didn't," Grace promised him. "But...I know...to spend your nights alone, wondering if there is anyone who will ever care for you? I know how that feels, Erik. Dad shipped me off to boarding school as soon as he could. I thought that he didn't care about me. I want him to suffer like I did all those years ago...spend every night thinking the same thing over and over again. I don't want to see you kill him."

Erik's jaw tightened and he turned his gaze to look out of the window next to him. Grace said nothing as she focused on driving. She knew that there was no persuading him. She knew that there was no getting into that thick skull of his.

"I care for you," Grace said after a moment.

She sat at the traffic light and whispered lowly to him. Erik's eyes looked to the side so that he could find her. She said nothing for a few seconds, keeping both of her hands on the steering wheel so that she had something to grip onto.

"God knows how stupid I am for caring," Grace replied. "You're a good man, Erik. You've suffered so much...and I know...I know that being with me must remind you of it...but...the other night when...well...we kissed..."

She inhaled a sharp breath then before she began to drive again.

"I can't pretend that it meant nothing. I don't want to pretend that it meant nothing." Grace replied. "I know that it did to you. I understand that. I mean, I'm his daughter and you'd never want to be with me like that."

"Is that it?" Erik wondered from her. "Do you think that I am physically repulsed by you?"

"Many men have been," Grace replied in the skip of a heartbeat.

"I'm not," Erik assured her. "I just know that is impractical for us to go around together like that. We both know how this will end."

"I should suppose that's why it hurts."

Grace kept quiet then, knowing that she wanted to tell Erik that it could end differently. He was just too stubborn to listen or believe her. She saved her breath and kept silent, finally pulling up outside of the base. She parked the car awkwardly, having to reverse to get it into the lines.

It was then when she felt Erik's hand on the side of her neck. She turned around to see that he had moved closer to her on the seat. He looked down to the leather material, noticing a rip in it before he curled his fingers around the back of her neck.

"It had never been my intention to care about you," Erik suddenly told her. "I am doing the best to push you from my thoughts. It is a difficult thing to do when Charles keeps throwing us back together like this."

She gulped as Erik moved his other hand to brush her hair from her face.

"I just wish that you could understand me better," Erik informed her. "I wish that you weren't his daughter. I wish that I had never met you."

Grace scoffed at hearing that. "Gee, thanks," she muttered to him.

"It would make both of our lives easier," Erik promised her. "I just think that it would be best for us to ignore Charles and his attempts at throwing us together."

"You're doing a bad job at this moment in time," Grace responded, moving her hands to rest on his wrists. "Don't toy with me, Erik. I told you that I cared for you a moment ago."

"I'm not," Erik adamantly replied. "Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to have you come around to my way of thinking."

"You know that I won't," Grace replied and Erik slowly lowered his lips towards hers.

He had always classed himself as having great self control with the opposite sex. Never did he believe that he would be able to sustain a relationship with a woman. His entire mission in life was to find Shaw. It was all that he had longed to do. Never had someone like Grace entered his life and stuck around him. Never before did he think it possible to care for someone else like he did do her. He had tried his best not to. He had done his damned hardest to stay away from her, but Charles seemed to be pushing them back together.

It wasn't as if he saw himself with her in the future. He didn't see her fitting into any of his future plans whatsoever.

"I won't do this," Grace mumbled before she pulled back from Erik after seeing his eyes train on her mouth. She dropped her hands from his wrists as she slid away from him, opening the car door and stepping out onto the tarmac. She ran her hands through her hair and looked back at him over her shoulder, her mouth partly open as she took deep breaths and tried to calm herself.

Erik had also climbed out from the car and was staring at her as he placed his hands into his pockets and his eyes narrowed in her direction.

"You need to be the better man," Grace called out to him. "I'll do my best to stop you from killing him, but I won't be near you all the time. It won't help any of us if you can't control your hormones."

"You think it is my hormones that need controlling?" Erik shouted over to her and she rolled her eyes at hearing him, flapping her arms by her sides.

She saw the way the sunlight streamed down on him, causing him to squint at her from over the bonnet of the car. She cursed him mentally when she saw him run his hand through his perfectly placed hair as he waited expectantly for an answer. An answer which she was struggling to think of.

Shrugging, Grace said nothing and turned on her heel, marching away and back into the base to find the recreation room.

...

"You've been quiet all afternoon, love."

The distinct tone of Charles's voice caused Grace to look up and from the book which she had been reading. A small smile spread on her face as Charles sat by the sofa next to her. She remained curled up in the corner as the telepath rested his hand on her knee and patted it once. He tossed his head back and groaned loudly.

"Everything okay?" Grace checked with him.

She had found peace and quiet in an abandoned office for the afternoon, tiring of listening to the mutants as she found herself thinking about Erik all of the time. Their tiring talk had made Grace grab a book and find peace by herself.

"The recreation room has been ruined," Charles complained to her. "The mutants destroyed it with their powers. Raven's disappointed me in her actions. She should know better than to ruin what isn't hers."

"How bad is it?" Grace wondered, folding the page of her book and resting it in her lap.

"Fairly bad. I am leaving them here whilst we go to Russia."

"We?" Grace wondered from him, her brow arched as she waited for an explanation.

Charles chuckled and shook his head, ruffling his hair under his fingers. "Moira, Erik and myself. Some others from the CIA division are coming too. I would find it beneficial for you to stay here. I don't want you anywhere near Shaw."

Grace felt her pulse race as she shook her head at him, daring to sit on her knees and rest her book on the floor as she studied Charles for a few moments.

"I have to come," she said. "I need to...he will listen to me..."

"No offence, Grace," Charles said, pausing for a second and weighing up his words. "Shaw has not listened to you before. He has controlled and manipulated you. Bringing you would be too dangerous. You do not need to worry. I know what is wrong."

"Do you?" Grace wondered.

"I won't let him hurt Shaw," Charles whispered, standing up and looking back down at Grace. He took a moment to watch as she pushed herself from the sofa and she paced the length of the office.

"He's determined to kill him. I know that he has killed before...I have seen him do it. He will kill my dad with no worry. I don't want him to kill him...mainly because he is still my dad...but...he deserves...well...not to die..."

Charles stood up and checked his watch as Grace pulled at the skirt she wore.

"Let me come with you," she urged him.

"Grace," Charles groaned. "I can stop Erik from doing anything brash. You wouldn't be able to. You don't need to panic."

She wanted to act like a petulant child at that moment in time, but she reigned in her emotions and kept silent. She took a moment to look around the room as Charles stood up and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I will have it all under control," he promised her and she nodded.

She knew Charles. He was more than capable of controlling people with his mind reading ability.

"I know," Grace whispered. "You should go, Charles. I'll be fine here...I'll go and find Raven...just try to keep Erik out of trouble."

Charles gave a small smile and he nodded before bidding her farewell. She watched him go and sank back down onto the sofa, her hand holding her forehead as she felt the beginning of a headache. She struggled to believe the amount of stress she felt at that moment in time.

She saw no more for the rest of the afternoon. It wasn't until later on when she felt the ground shake beneath her did she move. She stood up and caught her balance, swearing profusely before she moved to look out of the window.

"Dear God," Grace whispered at the sight in the sky.

Men fell from the sky, their bodies hitting the ground and death imminent for them. Grace tried not to feel squeamish as she watched. She felt the ground shake for a second time again and she knew that her father wasn't in Russia.

He was in the base.

...

A/N: I have to say thank you to ThePhantomismyLove and Nocturnal Rose and cc for reviewing the previous chapter. The power comes in the next chapter. I seem to have a lot of followers but not many reviewers. If you guys let me know what you think then that would be immense!


End file.
